While Oklahomans Rebuild, Sulphur Residents Face A Downtown Wiped Away In An Instant

For the roughly 5,000 people who call Sulphur their home, residents now face the prospect of completely rebuilding the heart of their city.

Monday, April 29th 2024, 12:26 pm

By: Lacey Swope, Cameron Joiner

SULPHUR, Okla. -

As many Oklahomans sift through the rubble and rebuild their communities after severe weather devastated parts of the state, residents in Sulphur are at the beginning of a long road to recovery.

The EF-3 tornado that struck Sulphur devastated the city's downtown, causing a drastic shift in the lives of 5,000 residents who call Sulphur their home.

News 9 Meteorologist Lacey Swope visited the town on Monday morning to survey the extent of the damage as many residents began to wake up in the dark.

Officials confirmed one person was killed and more than 30 people were hurt.

News 9's Cameron Joiner gave another look at the damage and recovery efforts Monday afternoon.

Lacey Swope

Meteorologist Lacey Swope is an Okie through and through, having grown up in the small town of Kiefer. She joined the News 9 weather team in 2011, and you can catch her forecasts weekday mornings on News 9 This Morning and on News 9 at 9a. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Lacey wanted to become a meteorologist to study the atmosphere every day and share her passion for weather with others.

Cameron Joiner

Cameron Joiner joined the News 9 team as a multimedia journalist in January 2023. Cameron was born and raised in Texas, but she found her home in the Sooner state after studying broadcast journalism at the University of Oklahoma.