Latest news with #KWTV
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
No Injuries Reported After Oklahoma Station's New Helicopter Crashes
Oklahoma City CBS affiliate KWTV said its brand new state-of-the-art helicopter has crashed. Bob Mills SkyNews 9 was damaged today in an incident Wednesday evening at the Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City. The pilot of the helicopter and a passenger were not seriously injured. The FAA and NTSB are investigating. KWTV The Oklahoman said the helicopter skidded and rolled over on its side while attempting to land at the Wiley Post Airport around 5:30 p.m. on April 30. This version of the station chopper was put into service in October 2024, after a tornado destroyed both News 9 and News On 6 helicopters. It was described as the most technologically advanced helicopter the station has ever had.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flooding kills 2 in Oklahoma as severe storms threaten millions across U.S.
Severe weather threatened more than 45 million Americans on Easter Sunday, as a treacherous string of thunderstorms continued to strike parts of the southern and midwestern United States, causing flooding and at times tornado risks across a substantial block of the country from East Texas to southeastern Iowa and Illinois. In Oklahoma, people braced for more rain after a deluge turned deadly earlier in the weekend. Two people, including a child, died Saturday night because of flooding in Moore, Oklahoma, which is a suburb outside Oklahoma City, police said. The adult woman and 12-year-old boy were inside a vehicle that was among about a dozen stuck in high water, while heavy rainfall inundated the area and, in some places, flowed up and over the curbs, according to the Moore Police Department. One of the vehicles left the flooded road and was swept under a bridge. Police said all of its occupants were rescued except for the woman and boy, who were later found dead. "This was a historical weather event that impacted roads and resulted in dozens of high-water incidents across the city," said Moore Police in a statement. "The Moore Police Department would like to extend a thank you to our neighboring agencies who assisted in rescue efforts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims." Moore Police had launched a search for the people washed away in floodwaters, sending dive teams, ground crews and drones to probe a creek running under the bridge after their truck slid beneath it, CBS News affiliate KWTV reported. With the vehicle pinned under the bridge and two occupants missing, dramatic video shared by the station showed an emergency responder suspended by a harness over the creek's rushing current, seemingly trying to access the truck and those inside from above. Multiple water rescues took place around Moore on Saturday, according to KWTV, which also shared video of someone wading through waist-deep water beside a submerged car in the area. Storms were forecast to continue sweeping through sections of southern Oklahoma into Sunday, where the National Weather Service in Norman warned of flash flooding that would likely ramp up again in the early morning hours. Elsewhere, severe weather was expected to strike parts of East Texas through the Ozarks and mid-Mississippi Valley in the afternoon and evening, threatening portions of Arkansas and Missouri with potentially destructive winds and large hail while raising the risk of tornadoes, which could be serious, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Tornado watches were in effect Sunday for parts of those two states in addition to pockets of eastern Oklahoma and various places in southwestern, central and northern Texas. In the latter state's Montague County, which is about 80 miles northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth, a strong storm drenched neighborhoods and in multiple instances required boat crews to rescue people from floodwaters, CBS News Texas reported. As of Saturday night, there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes or businesses in that area, according to the station. Forecasters have predicted the worst of the weekend's storms would abate by Monday. How could Trump's trade war with China end? Extended interview: David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce in "Pirates! The Penzance Musical"
CBS News
20-04-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Flooding kills 2 in Oklahoma, including a child, as severe storms threaten millions in multiple states
Severe weather threatened more than 45 million Americans on Easter Sunday, as a treacherous string of thunderstorms continued to strike parts of the southern and midwestern United States, causing flooding and at times tornado risks across a substantial block of the country from East Texas to southeastern Iowa and Illinois. In Oklahoma, people braced for more rain after a deluge turned deadly earlier in the weekend. Two people, including a child, died Saturday night because of flooding in Moore, Oklahoma, which is a suburb outside Oklahoma City, police said. The adult woman and 12-year-old boy were inside a vehicle that was among about a dozen stuck in high water, while heavy rainfall inundated the area and, in some places, flowed up and over the curbs, according to the Moore Police Department. One of the vehicles left the flooded road and was swept under a bridge. Police said all of its occupants were rescued except for the woman and boy, who were later found dead. "This was a historical weather event that impacted roads & caused dozens of high-water incidents across the city," said Moore Police in a statement . "We would like to extend a thank you to our neighboring agencies who assisted in rescue efforts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family & friends of the victims." Moore Police had launched a search for the people washed away in floodwaters, sending dive teams, ground crews and drones to probe a creek running under the bridge after their truck slid beneath it, CBS News affiliate KWTV reported. With the vehicle pinned under the bridge and two occupants missing, dramatic video shared by the station showed an emergency responder suspended by a harness over the creek's rushing current, seemingly trying to access the truck and those inside from above. Multiple water rescues took place around Moore on Saturday, according to KWTV , which also shared video of someone wading through waist-deep water beside a submerged car in the area. Storms were forecast to continue sweeping through sections of southern Oklahoma into Sunday, where the National Weather Service in Norman warned of flash flooding that would likely ramp up again in the early morning hours. Elsewhere, severe weather was expected to strike parts of East Texas through the Ozarks and mid-Mississippi Valley in the afternoon and evening, threatening portions of Arkansas and Missouri with potentially destructive winds and large hail while raising the risk of tornadoes, which could be serious, according to the Storm Prediction Center . Tornado watches were in effect Sunday for parts of those two states in addition to pockets of eastern Oklahoma and various places in southwestern, central and northern Texas. In the latter state's Montague County, which is about 80 miles northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth, a strong storm drenched neighborhoods and in multiple instances required boat crews to rescue people from floodwaters, CBS News Texas reported. As of Saturday night, there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes or businesses in that area, according to the station. Forecasters have predicted the worst of the weekend's storms would abate by Monday.
Miami Herald
17-04-2025
- Miami Herald
Woman kidnapped and robbed of $250K at coffee shop, OK cops say. Now, 6 arrested
A woman with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash on her made a stop at a coffee shop, Oklahoma deputies said. But a vehicle followed behind her on June 14 and two armed men kidnapped her at the Edmond cafe, according to the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. They tied her up, beat her, stole the cash she had and used her phone to send money to one of the suspects, deputies said. The woman was robbed of $250,000. Phone pings led authorities to the woman in Oklahoma City, but the accused kidnappers were largely unknown for months, deputies said. Now, six people have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and robbery, the sheriff's office announced on April 15. The suspects were arrested in Texas, Sheriff Tommie Johnson said during a news conference shared by KWTV. They were identified as: Dallas Jacquet, 39 Brandon Ford, 43 Demerce Dennis, 29 Harron Jennings, 28 Kadarryus Caples, 24 Gordon Scott, 33 Johnson said the kidnapping and robbery were not random, and officials believe the suspects did not know the woman was carrying a large sum of cash when they followed her. The woman said she planned to use the cash to make upgrades to her salon, deputies said. The six suspects were in Oklahoma to illegally purchase marijuana to sell in the Houston area as part of an illegal business, Johnson said. As they were loading the weed into their vehicle, they saw the woman drive by and decided to follow her, police said. Cameras on the woman's Tesla, in addition to other Flock cameras, led to the identification of one suspect, deputies said. A nearly year-long investigation identified five others. The six arrested are facing several charges, including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping for extortion, conjoint robbery, kidnapping for extortion and use of a firearm for commission of a felony, Johnson said. Edmond is about a 15-mile drive north from Oklahoma City.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'The fire kind of took them over.' Oklahoma fire death toll rises to 4 with more risky weather forecast
As firefighters evacuated homes north of Chandler in the face of 20-foot-high flames, they saw a badly burned man walking toward them. The man turned out to be Allen Ferguson, a well-respected youth wrestling coach in the area. As they rushed to help him, he urged them to save his teenage son still trapped after their four-wheeler wrecked. Ferguson, 54, would later die. His son, William Conley, 15, was rescued and is in critical condition in a hospital fighting for his life. The coach was one of four people who died as wildfires swept the state Friday, an increase from the initial traffic-related fatality Gov. Kevin Stitt initially announced after surveying damage Saturday. Another 142 people were injured in the fire storms that destroyed nearly 300 structures, including more than 200 homes, and burned 179,000 acres. The increased death toll comes as more extreme fire conditions and powerful winds are predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday. Oklahoma's chief medical examiner, Dr. Eric Pfeifer, said three of the fatalities were from the fires and one was from a vehicle accident blamed on the high winds and blowing dust. The fire deaths were in Lincoln, Haskell and Pawnee counties. The vehicle fatality was in Garfield County. More: Four people died as a result of fires or high winds. Fire risk, strong winds return Monday and Tuesday. The medical examiner said two more traffic fatalities may have been indirectly caused by the severe weather Friday. He said those deadly accidents occurred while trying to avoid fire emergency equipment. Ferguson was being remembered as a hero who was helping others Friday. "His dedication to his family and our community will never be forgotten," said Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler. His wife, Deborah Ferguson, told Oklahoma City television station KWTV that they were fighting a fire in a pasture belonging to her grandmother. She said they crashed into a tree because of the heavy smoke as they fled the fire. Chandler Fire Chief Bobby Buchanan said Ferguson told firefighters his son was still trapped. The fire chief said he understood from Ferguson that they had been fighting the fire themselves with friends and had an accident because of the smoke. "And the fire kind of took them over," Buchanan said. "He told us about his son," the fire chief said. "And we were able to send a truck in to extricate his son ... trapped there with a four-wheeler. "The fire was pretty heavy at that time. We're talking 20-foot flames," the chief said. "Both of them were ... able to walk and talk to us, but definitely severely burned." In a Facebook post on Saturday, Chandler's Lion Wrestling Booster Club stated "Allen will be greatly missed." "Will is hanging in strong but still fighting. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers," the club stated. A GoFundMe for the Ferguson family had raised over $56,000 as of Monday. Organizer Shane Earp said on Monday that Conley's condition had worsened. "Keep the prayers coming! This dude is fighting!" he wrote. Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce reported zero deaths and serious injuries, despite the fires causing substantial destruction. City Manager Brady Moore said that some firefighters working throughout the weekend tended to the homes of others while their own was burning. The work of first responders and emergency management teams in Stillwater embodied 'the spirit of Stillwater Strong and the Oklahoma Standard,' as Mayor Joyce said in a statement. 'So many others, too, have gone to extraordinary lengths to help others during this difficult time: City employees, Payne County/state officials, neighbors with garden hoses, local restaurants, event organizers, and lots more,' Joyce said. One of the largest sources of support came from Oklahoma State University. After the devastation, Saturday morning, the university opened its doors for victims, but even before that, one Stillwater victim said the university welcomed him on Friday night. 'I slept in my office in Gallagher-Iba Arena last night,' Jeremy Cook said on Saturday. 'The athletic department sent an email that said 'if you need to be here, be here. This is a safe haven.'' OSU utilized emergency response and transit teams to help execute the evacuations, which helped several families flee to safety. The Colvin Center Annex became a rescue spot for many students and employees in need. 'This immediate response exemplifies who we are as Cowboys — people who step up when our neighbors are in need,' interim President Jim Hess said in a statement. When Cook reached his home on Saturday morning, he found help from fellow OSU graduates, Stillwater responders and people driving by who wanted to lend a hand. 'It doesn't get better than Oklahomans; It really doesn't. They're always there, and there is nobody better than Okies,' Cook said. The Red Cross also helped administer a significant source of aid throughout the state. Working with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, the two groups gave out 125 meals to first responders in Leedey and 600 lunches and dinners in Stillwater. "All areas east of 35, we're seeing losses of total homes," Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief Associate Director Ryan Deatherage said. "People have lost their homes. It's a trying time." He added that some residents went on vacation for spring break and will come to find their homes damaged or destroyed. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning over the state early Monday morning. Tuesday is projected to hit highs of 79 to 90 degrees throughout Oklahoma's western and central parts. Central Oklahoma will be under a Fire Weather Watch throughout Tuesday, causing "critical to extreme" fire risk levels throughout most of the state. Relative humidity on Tuesday is expected to top off at 42%, a high for the week. After Tuesday, though, the chances of fire danger will drop to "critical" levels or lower, with Thursday sandwiched between two "critical" levels and the weekend falling to "elevated risks." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Death toll in Oklahoma wildfires now at 4; Red Flag Warning continues
