Sulfur, Oklahoma. – Historic Sulfur, Oklahoma, was left in ruins after a deadly EF-3 tornado spun through the downtown area, destroying everything in its path.
The area is known for its eclectic shops, artists, restaurants, murals and history, but after a nocturnal tornado struck Saturday night, the area was unrecognizable. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who was visiting Sulfur the day after the tornado, said he had never seen such severe tornado damage in his six years in office.
The National Weather Service in Norman gave the sulfur tornado a preliminary rating of EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. However, the review is ongoing, so a higher rating may be warranted.
Murray County emergency management officials say one woman was killed and dozens of others were injured in Sulphur.
Larry, Allison and Vicki Combs owned an antique furniture business in Sulphur that was destroyed by the tornado. On Monday, they said their business was unrecognizable.
“If you see it on TV or somewhere else, you feel sorry for those people, but in reality, you don't know until it's you, until it actually hits you,” Larry Combs said. said.
The full extent of the damage on West Muskogee Avenue wasn't clear until the sun rose Sunday morning, but business owners like Christy Morris of The Mix Mercantile knew what was coming.
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During a tornado warning Saturday night, Morris was sheltering in place at his home about 32 miles away when he tried to access the boutique store's cameras to see what was happening in Sulfur.
“The alarms started going off and that's when the tornado blew out the front window and door of the house,” Morris said.
The damage was “catastrophic,” said Morris, who waited the next morning for Highway 157 to be clear enough to see the damage.
Doors, windows, large portions of walls, and everything inside are either destroyed or missing, according to photos Morris shared with FOX Weather.
“It’s impossible to get it back,” she said.
The Table, a restaurant that shared the building with The Mix Mercantile, was also destroyed by the tornado. Morris said the historic building was especially devastating because it was built in the 1920s.
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Still, Morris said he wants to rebuild in downtown Sulfur. Owners of The Mix Mercantile, The Table and other area businesses all want to reopen.
“It would be a disaster if we couldn't rebuild in that place, in that town, because it's a really special place,” Morris said.