Highway 18 closed after tornado in Fairfax; minor injuries reported
Ponca City Now - October 8, 2018 7:09 am
UPDATE: The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports State Highway 18 is now open and electricity has been restored to the hospital and the nursing home. All units have cleared the scene.
FAIRFAX — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol responded to Fairfax Sunday after a tornado damaged a two-square-block area.
Troopers reported there were very minor injuries and no fatalities.
The Patrol is assisting with traffic control on State Highway 18. The highway remains closed both northbound and southbound due to downed power lines and debris in the roadway.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation Risk Manager also was on the scene.
Fairfax’s hospital and nursing home were without power as of 2:30 a.m. Monday and backup generators were down.
The American Red Cross was on the way to assist
Video from the scene shows large tree branches, sheets of metal and other debris strewn across parts of Highway 18 in the town of about 1,300 people, some 50 miles northwest of Tulsa.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the highway will be closed until further notice.
