Muskogee County residents experienced an EF-1 tornado Tuesday night. Yet, as the storm progressed, some say they were alerted almost too late.
Summit resident Charlene Walker moved into her new home last November. On the night of the storm, she said the weather app she used changed quickly and she couldn’t believe it.
“It was horrible. I was like, 'where was the tornado watch? Where were the sirens? Where, why did it just say thunderstorm, and then all of a sudden tornado warning – run!’”
She sprang into action with her two children, one of whom is recovering from surgery. The scene was chaotic. Walker lost her cat and fell as she was fleeing.
The city of Muskogee later acknowledged their system was delayed, but said sirens are meant to alert people outside, not inside, to a tornado. Walker called the press release inappropriate.
“A lot of people could have lost their lives at night from them not being prepared and doing their job. You should be able to hear the siren, you know. I may not be able to hear out here in Summit, but I do think that the people in town should have definitely heard it.”
No reason has yet been given for the delay. The Walkers are safe, and their cat has returned without a scratch
