(Reuters) - More than 30 people were injured and dozens of buildings damaged when a tornado hit Tulsa early on Sunday, causing power outages to about 17,000 customers after powerful winds snapped utility poles and downed trees in the Oklahoma city, officials said.

The tornado flipped cars, ripped apart buildings and blew windows out of a high-rise building, images from local TV broadcaster KTUL showed.

Oklahoma emergency officials told local media there were no deaths from the tornado classified by the U.S. National Weather Service as an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, meaning it had winds of about 125 miles per hour (200 kph).

Tornadoes coming in August and hitting at night are rare for Tulsa, the service said.

“The tornado that occurred did so suddenly and unexpectedly,” Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a Facebook post.

The Public Service Company of Oklahoma said as of Sunday afternoon, it had restored power to more than 11,000 customers.</s>An EF-2 tornado struck midtown Tulsa overnight, injuring more than a dozen people and causing power outages and damage to businesses.

No deaths are reported following storms that struck shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday.

A City of Tulsa spokeswoman said at least 13 people were taken to hospitals in undisclosed condition.

A survey team with the National Weather Service in Tulsa was sent Sunday morning to determine whether severe thunderstorms did, in fact, spawn a tornado. After about two hours, the surveyors confirmed an EF-2 tornado had hit.

EF-2 tornadoes have wind speeds up to 135 miles per hour and will cause considerable damage.

Tornado sirens did not alert many Tulsans to the storm. The City of Tulsa said the storm intensified and moved too quickly after the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning, so by the time Tulsa crews could have activated the sirens, the storm was already into Broken Arrow.

The Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency was able to warn Broken Arrow in time for that city's sirens to be activated.

The storms caused extensive damage to businesses along 41st Street starting at Yale Avenue. Firefighters had to rescue people from a heavily damaged TGI Friday's restaurant just west of Hudson Avenue, while the roof of a neighboring AT&T store collapsed.

Half the roof was torn off a Whataburger restaurant on 41st Street west of I-44. A large billboard was knocked down onto a small shopping center next to it.

The storm also damaged power poles and more than 11,000 customers were without power at one point. More than 9,000 remained without electricity Sunday morning.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol shut down I-44 between 41st Street and the Broken Arrow Expressway for a few hours Sunday morning to allow PSO to take care of several damaged utility poles. OHP said poles were leaning over the highway, and power lines were dropping below the 41st Street bridge over I-44.

National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Jankowski said tornadoes are generally associated with spring months and said an August tornado is uncommon, but not "outrageously rare."</s>An uncommon August tornado struck Tulsa early Sunday, damaging buildings, toppling utility poles and injuring around 30 people, authorities said.

No deaths were reported when the tornado struck at around 1:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. ET) The National Weather Service said it confirmed damage from an EF-2 tornado in the central part of the city.

Eight people were hospitalized after a TGI Fridays restaurant collapsed, trapping people inside.

"It completely collapsed right on top of everybody so it's, it's lucky that people came out with their lives," restaurant manager Zane McCollough said.

More than 14,000 people in the Tulsa area lost power at one point due to the tornado and severe storms, utility provider Public Service Company of Oklahoma said. Around 125 utility poles were broken or damaged.

The city’s warning sirens did not sound before the tornado struck. Tulsa Area Emergency Management Director Roger Jolliff described it as a fast-moving storm that left little time for warning.

"To have warned we would have been warning after the fact, which would have not been the right thing to do," Jolliff said.

He said that after the deadly tornado in Joplin, Missouri in 2011, a study showed that some residents did not initially heed warning sirens because of what was perceived as past false alarms, and emergency managers are reluctant to sound sirens too often.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2011 did find that many residents interviewed after that deadly tornado said the first siren did not immediately trigger concern because of what was perceived as past false alarms.

The E-5 Joplin tornado that struck on May 22, 2011, killed 159 people and injured more than 1,000 others. It was the seventh-deadliest tornado in U.S. history.

The Tulsa Fire Department said 13 people were transported to hospitals, including a firefighter who was burned in a house fire. A spokesperson for St. Francis Hospital said the medical center received 30 patients with minor injuries like lacerations, and most had been released by Sunday afternoon.

National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Jankowski told the Associated Press that while tornadoes can strike any time, they are generally associated with the spring months.

"I wouldn't say outrageously rare, but it is uncommon," to see an August tornado, Jankowski said.

Crews were clearing streets Sunday and Tulsa Police Sgt. Shane Tuell warned people to stay out of damaged areas if possible.

"Right now we’re still identifying dangerous areas of power lines, gas leaks that are in the area, and other debris that can still cause severe injury to individuals," he said.

Elliott Wilson, franchise owner of the bed and mattress store Mattress Firm, assessed the damage to his store Sunday.

"There’s definitely going have to be some tile and carpet repaired," Wilson said. "Yeah, it’s going to keep us down for a little bit."</s>OKLAHOMA CITY - The Latest on a tornado that struck Tulsa, Oklahoma. (all times local):

St. Francis Hospital spokeswoman Lauren Landwerlin says about 30 people have been treated at the hospital's trauma center and three were admitted in "non-critical condition" after a tornado struck near midtown Tulsa.

The figure of 30 injured is up from 13 initially reported taken by ambulance to hospitals. A city spokeswoman says many people were taken to hospitals by private vehicles.

The city may have been fortunate because the tornado struck just after 1 a.m. Sunday and most stores and restaurants were closed in the shopping district.

The National Weather Service says a strong, fast-moving storm system spawned a tornado that struck near midtown Tulsa, and possibly two other tornadoes.

Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman Kelli Bruer says two people suffered life-threatening injuries and 11 others were transported to hospitals.

St. Francis Hospital spokeswoman Lauren Landwerlin told the Tulsa World that up to 30 people were treated at the hospital. Landwerlin did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press, but a city spokeswoman says many people were taken to hospitals by private vehicles.

Weather Service meteorologist Mike Teague says an EF2 tornado, with wind speeds of 111 to 135 miles per hour touched down shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday and possibly two other smaller tornadoes touched down later near Inola and Claremore, about 25 miles east and northeast of Tulsa.

The storm caused extensive damage in Tulsa and left more than 11,000 customers without power at one point. More than 4,300 remained without electricity Sunday afternoon.

An apparent tornado that struck near midtown Tulsa left two people with life-threatening injuries and 11 others with minor injuries.

Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman Kelli Bruer says eight of the injured were taken from a TGI Fridays restaurant, four from a Whataburger restaurant and one person who was in the area when the storm struck shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday.

The storm caused extensive damage and left more than 11,000 customers without power at one point. More than 3,900 remained without electricity Sunday afternoon.

National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Jankowski said preliminary reports indicate a tornado, but it could be Monday before surveyors complete their investigation and there is no preliminary estimate of the storm's strength.

Jankowski said tornadoes are generally associated with spring months and said an August tornado is uncommon, but not "outrageously rare."

An apparent tornado struck near midtown Tulsa, injuring more than a dozen people and causing power outages and roof damage to businesses.

No deaths are reported following storms that struck shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday.

City of Tulsa spokeswoman Kim Meloy said at least 13 people were taken to hospitals in undisclosed condition.

The storm also damaged power poles and more than 11,000 customers were without power at one point. More than 9,000 remained without electricity Sunday morning.

National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Jankowski said preliminary reports indicate a tornado, but it could be Monday before surveyors complete their investigation and there is no preliminary estimate of the storm's strength.

Jankowski said tornadoes are generally associated with spring months and said an August tornado is uncommon, but not "outrageously rare."</s>TULSA, Okla. – The National Weather Service has confirmed the storm damage in Tulsa was caused by an EF-2 tornado that passed through the area late Saturday evening.

The tornado traveled through the area of 41st St. and I-44 causing heavy damage to multiple businesses including a hotel, shopping centers and the Remington Tower.

Power is currently out in most of the affected area.

The National Weather Service is currently on ground investigating the damage.

KFOR has a crew in Tulsa and will provide more information as it becomes available.</s>There are new questions about why there was no warning before a tornado ripped through Tulsa, Oklahoma, early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down. The rare August tornado ripped roofs off homes and knocked down trees. About 30 people were hurt, and two people had severe injuries.

As early as 1:19 a.m., the tornado touched down in Tulsa and there were signs of it on radar. But the sirens never went off because the National Weather Service did not issue a tornado warning until after the twister had moved on at 1:25 a.m.

Roger Jolliff, director of the Tulsa Emergency Management agency, said they did not sound the sirens because the twister had already moved on to the neighboring city by the time the National Weather Service issued its warning, reports CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca.

"I said if it's in Broken Arrow, we will not sound our sirens because the threat at that time that we had got this information... was going into Broken Arrow," Jolliff said.

The National Weather Service said they used two different radars to follow the storm system, and when the closer radar showed the tornado on the ground, they issued the tornado warning.

The tornado shredded restaurants and storefronts in the midtown portion of Tulsa. At least eight people were rescued from a TGI Friday's restaurant after its roof collapsed. Other buildings were nearly reduced to rubble.

One stretch of businesses took the brunt of the damage as the twister skipped along nearly seven miles.

"We've got power lines that are down, we've got big trees that are down, we have roads that are closed right now," Tulsa Police Department's Demita Kinard said.

Damaged power lines left more than 15,000 people in the dark at the height of the storm. Crews were out early to get a majority of customers reconnected by Sunday evening.

The twister even uprooted trees, bringing one crashing down through the roof of Heather Dick's new home.

"I came down this street and I saw that that tree had fallen, and I just started crying," Dick said.

The officials we spoke with said they would be reviewing what happened in this situation. Tulsa's mayor says after the cleanup is done, the city will also review its technology and protocols for initiating tornado sirens.</s>(KFOR) Dozens were injured when a tornado tore through portions of Tulsa early Sunday morning.

“I’m in awe that we’re alive,” said Sally Mangles, who was staying at a hotel that was hit by the storm. “I thank the lord because I’ve just never seen this in real person. You see it on the movies, you see it on the news, but in real life it’s really bad.”

The National Weather Service confirmed the storm damage in Tulsa was at least EF-2.

The tornado caused heavy damage to shopping centers, a hotel and even the Remington Tower, where glass and office furniture were blown out of the building.

Several people were rescued after the tornado hit a restaurant.

“Pretty severe. Lacerations, pretty serious lacerations,” said Stan May with the Tulsa Fire Department. “That wall pretty much came in on them and when that happened, the ceiling dropped down.”</s>Out-of-season EF2 twister tears through midtown, damaging structures and injuring at least 30 peopleAn unseasonable August tornado tore through midtown Tulsa early Sunday, damaging dozens of businesses and injuring at least 30 people who were surprised by the sudden spin-up.The EF2 tornado touched down about 1:25 a.m. in midtown, and left a path of damage between 41st and 51st streets, stretching from Harvard Avenue to Mingo Road, according to a city of Tulsa news release.EMSA ambulances transported 13 people with storm-related injuries to local hospitals in the aftermath of the tornado. Of those, eight were taken from a TGI Fridays restaurant near the 41st Street and Yale Avenue shopping corridor, and four were taken from a nearby Whataburger, spokeswoman Kelli Bruer said.Saint Francis Hospital treated 30 people for storm-related injuries at its trauma emergency center, said Lauren Landwerlin, executive director of corporate communications.A spokeswoman with St. John Medical Center refused to comment on the number of patients who were treated at that hospital, citing federal privacy guidelines., said Roger Jolliff, Tulsa Area Emergency Management director said., according to National Weather Service statistics . The first was an F1 in 1955, the second was an F2 in 1958. Sunday's marks the third. Data show tornadoes are rare throughout the state in August. Statewide, the month averages just over one, compared to the April average of nearly 12 and the May average of almost 23.Jolliff said.Jolliff learned Tulsa County was under a tornado warning about 1:25 a.m., and by that time the storm had already moved into Broken Arrow."To have warned, we would have been warning after the fact, which would not have been the right thing to do," he said.As crews cleared debris, 41st and 51st streets between Memorial and Sheridan were closed, in addition to 41st Street between Yale Avenue and Sheridan Road. The streets were to be closed through at least Monday morning.Businesses in the shopping corridor at 41st and Yale were heavily damaged.Tulsa Promenade mall, at the intersection of 41st and Yale, received structural and roof damage, though owner Mike Kohan doesn't believe there was much product loss.The storm left the mall without power, meaning it was closed for the last day of Oklahoma's tax-free weekend. Kohan said the mall stands to lose thousands of dollars in sales."We missed a lot of tornadoes, but this time, I guess, we're not lucky enough," he said.The mall will likely be closed until Tuesday.The storm also hit BOK Financial operations center near 41st Street and Sheridan, downing its online banking system, automated telephone service and mobile app, according to a statement the company released Sunday.Crews are working to restore the services. Most ATMs should still be operational, the statement read.The storm also blew half the roof off the Whataburger when late night customers were inside. A nearby Chipotle was also hit, and an overturned car with a busted windshield sat in its parking lot Sunday morning.Remington Tower, an 18-story office building near 41st Street and Skelly Drive, was severely damaged, and as of Sunday morning was without power and considered unstable, officials said.As the storm passed through Tulsa, it brought with it 2.3 inches of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. City crews closed roads at 81st and Elwood Avenue and near 1800 North Mingo Road because of flooding.In the immediate aftermath, an estimated 17,000 American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma customers were without power. Of those, approximately 14,100 were in the Tulsa metro area, according to a news release.Many Tulsa residents slept through the storm and woke up to find fallen trees, downed power lines and other scattered debris Sunday morning.Deputy Mayor Michael Junk, who is acting mayor while Mayor G.T. Bynum is out of state, said much of the residential damage is limited to downed trees and roof damage.City officials will release a residential debris plan later this week, according to a news release.Tulsa Police spokesman Sgt. Shane Tuell cautioned residents about insurance and assessment fraud in the aftermath of the storm. Those types of schemes are common following storms, and he urged residents not to give out their financial or personal information."Do not fall for any scammers coming door-to-door," he said.The Tulsa Police Department will monitor storm-affected areas until debris is cleared and the areas are safe to enter, Tuell said.</s>A tornado ripped through downtown Tulsa early Sunday, injuring at least 25 people and causing severe damage to many businesses.

The storm knocked down power lines, signs and trees, AccuWeather said. No deaths were reported from the storm that struck shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday.

A National Weather Service survey team rated the tornado as an EF-2, which has winds of 113-157 mph.

It was the first August tornado in Tulsa since 1958, Weather Chanel meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said.

All the injured have since been treated and released, according to Newson6.com.

Tulsa spokeswoman Kim Meloy said the timing of the storm helped because hundreds, if not thousands, of people were in the area only hours earlier.

“It’s a highly commercial area with a lot of people normally in there. There’s a mall, there’s a movie theater, a TGI Fridays,” Meloy told the Associated Press.

More than 12,000 customers had lost power Sunday morning, the Public Service Company of Oklahoma said. That number was down to about 4,000 by mid-afternoon Sunday.

Elsewhere, drenching rain led to widespread flooding in New Orleans on Saturday, when up to 10 inches of rain overwhelmed storm drains, NOLA.com said.</s>TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Latest on tornados that struck in northeast Oklahoma (all times local):

Emergency management officials in northeast Oklahoma say one house was destroyed and almost 200 homes and businesses were damaged by a tornado that injured about 30 people near midtown Tulsa.

Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency Director Roger Jolliff said Monday that 173 businesses and 25 homes were damaged by an EF2 twister that struck at 1:19 a.m. Sunday. Two businesses were condemned by city inspectors who were assessing the structural integrity of buildings damaged by the tornado.

Officials say the tornado had wind speeds of 120-130 mph (195-210 kph) and also damaged power poles and trees.

No injuries were reported later Sunday after two other tornadoes struck the southeast Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow and near Oologah, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Tulsa.

The National Weather Service says three tornadoes struck northeast Oklahoma, including an EF2 twister that caused heavy damage and injured at least 30 people near midtown Tulsa.

Meteorologist Bart Haake said Monday that the Tulsa tornado touched down at 1:19 a.m. Sunday. Eight minutes later an EF1 tornado struck the southeast Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow and an EF1 tornado then touched down five minutes after that near Oologah, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Tulsa.

No injuries are reported from the last two twisters.

Haake said the Tulsa tornado had wind speeds of 120-130 mph (195-210 kph) while the others had winds of 90-100 mph (145-160 kph).

St. Francis Hospital spokeswoman Lauren Landwerlin says about 30 people were treated at the hospital, including three in "non-critical" condition.
An EF-2 tornado strikes Tulsa, Oklahoma, injuring 30 people and damaging dozens of buildings.