ADA, Okla. — A dangerous storm is rolling across Southeastern Oklahoma. 

There were multiple reports of damaging tornadoes across several rural counties 80 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Many people took shelter, including the managing editor of the Ada News, Randy Mitchell.

“I’m at the shelter in the Roff Old National Guard Armory and there are a bunch of people here,” Mitchell said. “There are also people at the junior high school, which is a shelter.” 

The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma issued multiple warnings for Pontotoc, Garvin and Murray counties and confirmed a “large and destructive tornado” moving east from Hickory, Oklahoma at 5:11 p.m.

Weather spotters also reported a tornado a half-mile wide near Sulphur, Oklahoma. 

“One of the Roff (Oklahoma) firefighters said they have seen five since this started dropping down from the sky and then going back up,” Mitchell said. 

“I’ve been talking to our firefighters, who are following it. They’re saying it’s on the ground,” he said.

Moore said he understood there was damage in the surrounding Garvin County area, including in the tiny town of Katie, Oklahoma, however specific details were not available. 

Puit is the editor for the McAlester, Oklahoma News—Capital.