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Northeast Texan reflects on residency in tornado-stricken Woodward

Screen grab from video of one of the Woodward tornados during a lightning flash after midnight on April 15th.
Photo by Patrick Marsh, National Severe Storms Laboratory
Screen grab from video of one of the Woodward tornados during a lightning flash after midnight on April 15th.

KETR's General Manager, Jerrod Knight, lived and worked in Woodward, OK radio and television for two years, from 2005 to 2007.

"It's rough, hearing about the folks in Woodward who've been left without homes and those who've faced tragedy. I still have quite a few friends who call Woodward home."

One of those friends posted this status update to facebook at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday:

It's been a long night/morning.... My heart and prayers go out to the friends and families of the 5 people that lost their lives in this storm... Thanks to everyone who called [me] to see what, if anything, they could do to help our community... It reinforces my belief that I live in the best possible place there is....

"I consider having worked radio in Woodward a blessing," says Knight. "Severe weather is such a common occurrence there. The emphasis that we at KETR put on severe weather coverage for Northeast Texas is very much a direct by-product of the experience I gained providing media coverage of damaging storms in Northwest Oklahoma."

Sunday’s storm killed five people and injured more than two dozen in and around the town. But as NPR reports, dozens of more lives may have been spared due to an advanced weather warning system that gave residents in Oklahoma and Kansas at least 24 hours notice.

Tornadoes were also reported in Nebraska and Iowa. Citizens also received proper notice in Northeast Texas, where severe weather failed to strike. Lighting and some hail were reported, but a majority of the area only experienced moderate showers.

Update at 8:48 a.m. Monday: CNN confirms death toll hits six in Woodward, Oklahoma.