Storms Knock Out Power to Thousands in Tulsa

Powerful thunderstorms swept through parts of Oklahoma late Tuesday and early Wednesday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses and setting off fires caused by lightning strikes.

American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma reported more than 85,000 outages on Wednesday morning with nearly all of them in Tulsa County. A spokeswoman for the utility says it could take days to restore power to some areas.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts of 75 mph or higher were reported in parts of the state, downing trees and power lines. No injuries have been reported.

Authorities say lightning strikes caused fires at a downtown Tulsa hotel and at a school, but both blazes were quickly extinguished.