
Oklahoma Town Struck By Severe Storm During ‘Twisters’ Opening Weekend
"Twisters" hit theaters this weekend, and focused on tornadic weather in Oklahoma. During the blockbuster film's opening weekend, a town in southwest Oklahoma was struck by a severe storm causing significant damage to homes, businesses and various other structures. Although it wasn't a tornado, Oklahomans know that severe storms can still cause a lot of damage.
"Twisters" shows incredible images of tornadoes but it also depicts what the aftermath of a tornado looks like - destroyed homes, debris everywhere - images Oklahomans know all too well.
Altus, Oklahoma was struck by a downburst on Sunday, July 21.
In the early hours of Sunday, July 21, Jackson County in southwest Oklahoma was under a severe thunderstorm warning. The city of Altus received a bulk of the damage from the storm, which according to the National Weather Service was caused by a downburst - powerful winds that descend from a storm and spread out quickly causing damage similar to EF0 and EF1 category tornadoes.
Reported damage from the county's emergency management included roof damage, rolled over semi-truck, blown down powerline poles and a pole barn had been blown away. The City of Altus has also set up an area for residents to depose of debris from fallen trees.
People from Altus took to social media to document the storm damage. For some, the damage was so intense that they thought they were actually hit by a tornado.
Some even got great shots of the storm itself has it sept through the late night hours.
The local movie theater, Heritage Park Theatre of Altus, which was showing "Twisters," had to close due to storm damage. But it was expected to reopen after repairs on Monday, July 22.
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