In a devastating turn of events, a powerful tornado struck Claremore, Oklahoma, on Saturday night, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. As reported by officials, the tornado resulted in 23 injuries, with 19 individuals transported to local hospitals, while three individuals sustained life-threatening injuries. However, there have been no confirmed fatalities as of 9 p.m. Sunday.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado unleashed an EF3 level of damage, causing significant destruction to homes, structures, and power lines in and around Claremore. This prompted city officials and Rogers County to issue disaster proclamations, enabling resources to be mobilized swiftly for recovery efforts, including debris cleanup and power restoration.

To aid in the recovery process, a dedicated recovery update site has been launched, providing crucial information about the tornado and ongoing power restoration initiatives. Encouragingly, power has been fully restored to Claremore Indian Hospital and Hillcrest Claremore. While fuel supplies are gradually being replenished, as of 7:45 a.m. Monday, there were still 2,048 customer outages in the area.

Despite the extensive damage caused by the tornado, the city officials have confirmed that water treatment and sanitary sewer treatment plants are operable, ensuring essential utilities are available to the residents. Claremore Police have also announced that the streets are clear and the city is open for business. This positive development has allowed businesses on West Will Rogers to resume operations as of Monday morning.

In a commendable display of support, the American Red Cross has activated its services to assist the affected communities. A shelter has been opened at the Memorial Heights Baptist Church to accommodate displaced residents. The shelter will provide meals, snacks, and water to those affected, along with health services for disaster-related conditions, emotional support and mental health services, assistance with reconnecting with loved ones, and information regarding available community resources.

The Red Cross workers have also dedicated themselves to distributing free meals, snacks, water, and emergency supplies in Claremore once the roads are accessible for relief efforts. The City of Claremore has provided a storm recovery website for residents seeking updates and information, while the City's outage recovery can be tracked through official channels.

FOX23 will continue to provide timely updates as they become available, ensuring that the affected community remains well-informed about ongoing recovery efforts. As Claremore comes together to rebuild and recover from this devastating event, the resilience and strength of its citizens will undoubtedly shine through, bringing hope to those in need.