Tulsa Braces for Storms as Community Rallies After Tornado Damage

Good morning, this is Tulsa Local Pulse for Thursday, April 16. We start with breaking weather news impacting our city today. An EF1 tornado with winds up to 110 miles per hour struck the Tulsa Hills area west-southwest of town on April 14, snapping trees and damaging homes near West 81st Street and 33rd West Avenue, like at Randy Crowes place where a massive tree crashed through his roof. Cleanup crews are still out there, and Hilldale Public Schools in Muskogee canceled classes yesterday due to downed power lines and outages affecting over 600 homes in the county. Right now, Tulsa County sits under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. tonight, covering spots from Osage to Wagoner, so we urge everyone to stay alert, secure outdoor items, and have a plan if sirens sound. Expect scattered severe thunderstorms this afternoon with hail and gusty winds, but things calm by evening with partly cloudy skies and temps in the low 70s. Shifting to city hall, officials approved a new traffic calming plan for Riverside Drive near Turkey Mountain, aiming to slow speeds and boost pedestrian safety for our daily commutes. On the real estate front, home sales dipped about 5 percent last month, but inventory rose to around 2,000 listings, giving buyers more options downtown and in midtown. Jobs look steady with about 1,200 openings posted this week, especially in healthcare at Saint Francis and tech roles near the Gathering Place. New business buzz includes a fresh craft brewery opening Saturday on Brookside, replacing the old spot that closed last year. Music fans, mark your calendars for Record Store Day on April 18 with special releases and events at local shops like Sundog Records. And catch Evan Honer live tomorrow night in the Brady Arts District. In sports, our Tulsa Memorial teams took tough losses yesterday, swept twice by the Shawnee Wolves in district play. Quick school shoutout: Booker T. Washington High aced a regional science fair, with their robotics club taking top honors. Crime report from the past day stays light, with just a few thefts reported near 71st and Memorial, no major incidents or alerts from Tulsa Police. For a feel-good lift, neighbors in Tulsa Hills rallied to help Randy Crowe clear debris, turning a scary night into a true community hug. Upcoming, dont miss the Inner Circle Drag Show on April 25 in the Brady District. Thanks for tuning in, listeners, and please subscribe for daily updates. This has been Tulsa Local Pulse. Well see you tomorrow with more local updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.