Tornado confirmed near Tulsa airport; water closes highway

View The Original Article Here
This image made from video provided by KWTV-KOTV shows two funnel clouds formed in Crescent, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2019. An intense storm system that weather forecasters labeled "particularly dangerous" swept through the Southern Plains Monday, spawning a few tornadoes that caused some damage and a deluge of rain but no reports of injuries. (KWTV-KOTV via AP)

This image made from video provided by KWTV-KOTV shows two funnel clouds formed in Crescent, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2019. An intense storm system that weather forecasters labeled “particularly dangerous” swept through the Southern Plains Monday, spawning a few tornadoes that caused some damage and a deluge of rain but no reports of injuries. (KWTV-KOTV via AP) AP

A powerful storm system spawned a confirmed tornado Tuesday morning near Tulsa International Airport, after shutting down an interstate highway and prompting water rescues elsewhere in the state.

More tornadoes, along with hail and damaging winds were predicted as the storms moved to the east. In Tulsa, forecasters confirmed a tornado near the airport at about 6:30 a.m. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, but tornado warnings remained in effect in many parts of the state.

Many flights were canceled or delayed at the Tulsa airport because of the storms.

Along with severe weather, the storms brought a deluge of rain, causing the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to shut down Interstate 40 in El Reno, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Oklahoma City, because of high water Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service says up to 5 inches of rain had fallen since Monday.

In Stillwater, home to Oklahoma State University, emergency responders were rescuing people from their homes because of high water.

The Storm Prediction Center had warned of an unusually high risk for severe weather Monday for parts of Oklahoma and Texas. Damage was reported in many areas Monday night, including the town of Mangum, but no deaths have been reported.