Train derailed by 80mph winds as storm sweeps across Oklahoma
BNSF freight train knocked off tracks near town of Fairmount
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A severe thunderstorm with wind gusts of more than 80 miles per hour (130kph) derailed a freight train near the town of Fairmount, Oklahoma, officials said.
The BNSF train had stopped due to strong winds when 29 rail cars derailed at around 4am on Friday, 100 miles north of Oklahoma City, a company spokesperson told The Associated Press.
There were no reported injuries and no hazardous materials were involved, the spokesperson said. BNSF said that it had crews on site repairing the damage.
After a week of extreme temperatures in Oklahoma, a damaging storm complex arrived on Friday morning, ripping roofs off buildings, bringing down trees and pushing planes around at the Vance Air Force Base in Enid.
In the town of Blackwell, 50 miles northeast of Fairmount, power lines were downed and buildings damaged, KFOR reported.
A spokesman at Vance Air Force Base told The Enid News that officials were assessing the damage to planes that had been shunted around on the tarmac in winds topping 73mph (117kph).
Wind gusts of up to 84mph (135kph) were recorded in nearby Vance, Enid and Garfield County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post.
Extreme weather events are rising due to the climate crisis. Rising global heat, caused by burning fossil fuels, is driving record-breaking heatwaves around the world this summer including across the southern half of the US.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments