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  • Alvin Pate points to his Chrysler 300 which sustained damage durning a microburst on Friday.

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  • The roof at the back of Heritage Hill Golf Course was ripped up by a microburst storm Friday afternoon. Mark Friedel

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  • Tents at the Bluegrass and Chili Festival were knocked down by Friday's microburst/ Photo by Ron Henry.

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  • Photo by Randy Cowling

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  • Photo by Randy Cowling

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  • Chet Hunter begins clean up of tree damage Friday afternoon. Photo by Randy Cowling

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  • Photo by Ron Henry

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September 7, 2012

Winds rip roof off, down trees crash Bluegrass Chili Festival tents

Randy Cowling Editor

CLAREMORE — Just before 4 p.m. Friday a powerful storm front blew through Claremore leaving at least one roof stripped and numerous trees downed, in addition to crashing tents at the Bluegrass and Chili Festival at the Claremore Expo Center.

No injuries were reported. Winds were strong ahead of a cold front that weather forecaster predict will bring cooler temperatures and rain.

Alvin Pate was standing outside of a house on 7th Street when the front came through.

"We were standing out talking. It spun up right there and looked like it was in the school yard. It swirled up and all of a sudden it hit," Pate said.

"It took like three seconds. Then it was gone."

The downburst of wind stripped the roof of the house and send it sailing across the street into a neighbor's backyard.

"I heard it roaring. When Keith ran in he said it was a tornado I hear it roaring," said Debbie Andrews, who lives on 8th Street, two houses down from the house that suffered the damage.

Chet Hunter was outside after the burst passed through with his chainsaw cleaning up parts of a tree.

Several trees were knocked down at Heritage Hills Golf Course. The roof on the back side of the clubhouse was stripped bare.

Rogers County Emergency Management Director Bob Anderson confirmed a microburst passed through Claremore Friday afternoon, leaving downed limbs and various damages and power outtages in its wake.

“Around 4 p.m., the lead end of the cold front was pushing its way through town,” Anderson said. “As it was doing so, we experienced intense winds which are known to accompany this phenomena (microburst), with minor damage spread across the city — basically things ‘not nailed down’ were affected, but we’re getting word in about limbs being knocked down and some larger damages.”

Although Anderson was not sure about the intensity of the winds in the actual microbursts, which are capable of generating short, intense burts of wind greater than 75 mph. He estimated the winds in town averaging excess of 50 mph. 

Two stretches of the Will Rogers Turnpike in Ottawa County have lane closures due to several overturned semi trucks. Eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of the Will Rogers Turnpike northeast of Miami (mile marker 306) in Ottawa County are closed. Westbound lanes are closed from mile marker 315 to 316 in Ottawa County are closed as well.wo stretches of the Will Rogers Turnpike in Ottawa County have lane closures due to several overturned semi trucks. Eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of the Will Rogers Turnpike northeast of Miami (mile marker 306) in Ottawa County are closed. Westbound lanes are closed from mile marker 315 to 316 in Ottawa County are closed as well.

 

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  • REGIONAL BASEBALL SCHEDULES

    Three regional baseball tournaments will kick off today and Saturday in Rogers County.

    The No. 1-ranked Claremore Zebras will open the Class 5A regional at 3 p.m. at Legendary Legion Field. Claremore will face the loser of Game 1 between Skiatook and McAlester, who gets the regional underway at 1 p.m. Claremore will also play the winner of Game 1 at 5 p.m.

    The if necessary games will be played on Saturday at noon at Legendary Legion Field.

    * The Catoosa Regional in Class 4A will continue today at 4 p.m. with an elimination game between Claremore Sequoyah and Jay. The winner of the Claremore Sequoyah/Jay game will face Catoosa at 6:30 p.m.

    * The Oologah Mustangs will also open their 4A Regional at Metro Christian today. Oologah will square off with Dewey at 1:30 p.m. The first game of the regional will have Metro Christian taking on Cleveland at 11 a.m. The winner of the Metro Christian/Cleveland game will play the winner of the Oologah/Dewey game at 4 p.m.; and the losers of the first two games will battle in the night cap at 6:30 p.m.

    * The Class 3A No. 1-ranked Verdigris Cardinals will host regional action today at 2 p.m. at the Verdigris Baseball Complex. Verdigris faces Adair in the opener at 2 p.m., followed by Pawhuska and Perkins-Tryon at 4 p.m. The winners of both games will then play at 6:30 p.m. and the losers will play after that at 8 p.m.

    Winners of each regional tournament will advance to the State Tournament held May 9-11 in the Oklahoma City/Edmond area.

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    The three-time defending Class 4A state champion Verdigris Lady Cardinals will face arch-rival Claremore Sequoyah at 6 p.m. tonight in the state quarterfinals at Claremore Sequoyah High School Stadium.

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  • REGIONAL BASEBALL: Claremore, Verdigris postponed til Friday

    The Class 5A Regional Tournament at Claremore and the Class 3A Regional Tournament at Verdigris has been postponed til Friday.

    Claremore will start their tournament at 1 p.m. with Skiatook and McAlester battling in Game 1. The loser of that game will face Claremore at 3 p.m., and the winner from Game 1 will play Claremore at 5 p.m.

    Verdigris, as of right now, will face Adair at 11 a.m. at Verdigris Baseball Complex, followed by Pawhuska and Perkins-Tryon at 1 p.m. The two winners will play again at 3 p.m. and the losers will play at 5 p.m.

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