Tornadoes kill 4 in Oklahoma, leaving trail of destruction and thousands without power

SULPHUR, Okla. (AP) — Tornadoes killed four people in Oklahoma, including an infant, and left thousands without power Sunday after a destructive outbreak of severe weather flattened buildings in the heart of one rural town and injured at least 100 people across the state.

More than 20,000 people were still without electricity hours after tornadoes began late Saturday night. The destruction was extensive in Sulphur, a town of about 5,000 people, where a tornado crumpled many downtown buildings, tossed cars and buses and sheared the roofs off houses across a 15-block radius.

“You just can't believe the destruction,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said during a visit to the hard-hit town. “It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed.”

Stitt said about 30 people were injured in Sulphur, including some who were in a bar as the tornado struck. Hospitals across the state reported about 100 injuries, including people apparently cut or struck by debris, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. An infant was among those killed, Hughes County Emergency Management Director Mike Dockrey told Oklahoma television station KOCO.

White House officials said President Joe Biden spoke to Stitt on Sunday and offered the full support of the federal government.

The deadly weather in Oklahoma added to the dozens of reported tornadoes that have wreaked havoc in the nation's midsection since Friday. Another death was reported Sunday in Iowa, where officials in Pottawattamie County said a man critically injured during a tornado Friday had died.

In Oklahoma, authorities said the tornado in Sulphur began in a city park before barreling through the downtown, flipping cars and ripping the roofs and walls off of brick buildings. Windows and doors were blown out of structures that remained standing.

“How do you rebuild it? This is complete devastation,” said Kelly Trussell, a lifelong Sulphur resident as she surveyed the damage. “It is crazy, you want to help but where do you start?”

Carolyn Goodman traveled to Sulphur from the nearby town of Ada in search of her former sister-in-law, who Goodman said was at a local bar just before the tornado hit the area. Stitt said one of the victims was found inside a bar but authorities had not yet identified those killed.

“The bar was destroyed,” Goodman said. “I know they probably won’t find her alive ... but I hope she is still alive.”

Farther north, a tornado near the town of Holdenville killed two people and damaged or destroyed more than a dozen homes, according to the Hughes County Emergency Medical Service. Another person was killed along Interstate 35 near the southern Oklahoma city of Marietta, state officials said.

Heavy rains that swept into Oklahoma with the tornadoes also caused dangerous flooding and water rescues. Outside Sulphur, rising lake levels shut down the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, where the storms wiped out a pedestrian bridge.

Stitt issued an executive order Sunday declaring a state of emergency in 12 counties due to the fallout from the severe weather.

At the Sulphur High School gym, where families took cover from the storm, Jackalyn Wright said she and her family heard what sounded like a helicopter as the tornado touched down over them.

Chad Smith, 43, said people ran into the gym as the wind picked up. The rain started coming faster and the doors slammed shut. “Just give me a beer and a lawn chair and I will sit outside and watch it,” Smith said. Instead, he took cover.

Residents in other states were also digging out from storm damage. A tornado in suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolished homes and businesses Saturday as it moved for miles through farmland and into subdivisions, then slammed an Iowa town.

The tornado damage began Friday afternoon near Lincoln, Nebraska. An industrial building in Lancaster County was hit, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside. Several were trapped, but everyone was evacuated, and the three injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.

One or possibly two tornadoes then spent around an hour creeping toward Omaha, leaving behind damage consistent with an EF3 twister, with winds of 135 to 165 mph (217 to 265 kph), said Chris Franks, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spent Saturday touring the damage and arranging for assistance for the damaged communities. Formal damage assessments are still underway, but the states plan to seek federal help.

Associated Press journalists Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas, and Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.

A car lies on its side after being knocked over during a tornado that tore through downtown Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ken Miller)

A school bus lies on its side after being knocked over during a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ken Miller)

A row of buildings is left damaged by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ken Miller)

People remove items from a building damaged by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ken Miller)

A row of buildings is left damaged by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ken Miller)

A car lies knocked over on its side after a tornado tore through Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ken Miller)

A man walks past tornado damage in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024, after severe storms hit the area the night before. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

Tornado damage in Sulphur, Okla., is pictured on Sunday, April 28, 2024, after severe storms hit the area the night before. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

People look at tornado damage in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024, after severe storms hit the area the night before. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

A man is surrounded by tornado damage after severe storms moved through the night before in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

Charlie Schwake walks past his property in Sulphur after a tornado hit the area the night before in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows damage caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows damage caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows damage caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows damage caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows a crew working on clearing debris caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

Sean Thomas Sledd salvages items from his room after it was hit by a tornado the night before in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. Sledd sought shelter at Oklahoma School for the deaf. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows buildings destroyed by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows damage caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows damage caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

A partially torn off roof is seen on a damaged home in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Dozens of reported tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

CANNES, France (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday with the unveiling of Greta Gerwig's jury and the presentation of an honorary Palme d'Or for Meryl Streep, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off a potentially volatile 77th edition.

A 10-day stream of stars will soon begin flowing down Cannes' famous red carpet beginning with the opening night film, “The Second Act,” a French comedy starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphaël Quenard. During the opening ceremony, Streep will be given her honorary Palme.

In the days to come, Cannes will premiere George Miller's “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," Francis Ford Coppola's self-financed “Megalopolis” and anticipated new movies from Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold and Kevin Costner.

But much of the drama surrounding this year's Cannes has been off screen.

After French actor Judith Godrèche earlier this year accused two film directors of rape and sexual abuse when she was a teenager, the French film industry has been dealing with arguably its defining #MeToo moment. On Wednesday, Godrèche will premiere her short “Moi Aussi.”

Asked about #MeToo expanding in France, Gerwig told reporters in Cannes on Tuesday that it's progress.

“I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good,” Gerwig said. “I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open.”

Gerwig, coming off the success of “Barbie,” is president of the jury that will decide Cannes' top award, the Palme d'Or. Thierry Fremaux on Monday praised her as “the ideal director” for Cannes, given her ability to work across arthouse and studio film and her interest in cinema history. And, Fremaux said, “We very much liked ‘Barbie.’”

Joining Gerwig on the jury is Lily Gladstone, star of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” French actor Eva Green, Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, French actor Omar Sy, Lebanese actor and director Nadine Labaki, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter Ebru Ceylan and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino.

“I thought I just got over my imposter syndrome last year,” said the Oscar-nominated Gladstone. “But I'll start all over again.”

The jurors were asked how the many real-world concerns outside the festival might affect their deliberations. One film in competition, Ali Abbasi's “The Apprentice,” stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. And Labaki was asked if the war in Gaza might be on her mind.

“I truly believe that one of the tools to really change something in the situation we all live in right now, which is a situation I think is not that great, is really through art and through cinema,” said Labaki. “It may propose a more tolerant way of seeing things and seeing each other as human beings.”

Filmmakers, Favino said, play the important role of reminding the world of where it can find beauty.

“This is why I decided that I could be here without feeling guilty as a human being," said Favino. “Because if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace.”

Other concerns are also swirling around this year's Cannes. Festival workers, fed up with short-term contracts that leave them unqualified for unemployment benefits in between festivals, have threatened to strike.

On Monday, the Iranian filmmaker Mohammed Rasoulof, whose film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is premiering next week in competition in Cannes, said he had fled Iran after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging. The film is said to be a critical depiction of the Iranian regime.

As Cannes continues, though, many will be focused on the stars parading the festival's famous red carpet. They'll include Emma Stone, Anya Taylor-Joy, Demi Moore, Selena Gomez, Nicolas Cage and Barry Keoghan. At the closing ceremony on May 25, George Lucas is to receive an honorary Palme d'Or.

Regardless, the 77th Cannes will have a lot to live up to. Last year's festival, widely celebrated for its robust lineup, produced three Oscar best picture nominees: “Anatomy of a Fall," “The Zone of Interest” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” To help rekindle last year's spirit, Messi, the canine star of “Anatomy of a Fall,” is back in Cannes for a series of brief French TV spots.

A good Cannes will help France keep the global spotlight through the summer. The festival will be followed by the French Open, the Tour de France and the summer Olympics in Paris. On May 21 in Cannes, the Olympic flame will be carried up the steps to the festival's hub, the Palais des Festivals.

Meryl Streep poses for photographers during the honorary Palme d'Or photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/Invision/AP)

Meryl Streep poses for photographers during the honorary Palme d'Or photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Jury president Greta Gerwig poses for photographers during the jury photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/Invision/AP)

Jury member Lily Gladstone poses for photographers during the jury photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)

This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Emma Stone, left, and Joe Alwyn in a scene from "Kinds of Kindness." The film is set to world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. (Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures via AP)

FILE - Francis Ford Coppola arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Coppola's film, "Megalopolis" will compete at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Anya Taylor-Joy in a scene from "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." The film will world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Cars drive along the Croisette Boulevard ahead of the Cannes film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 12, 2024. The 77th edition of the film festival runs from May 14 until May 25. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

A person walks along the Croisette ahead of the Cannes film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 12, 2024. The 77th edition of the film festival runs from May 14 until May 25. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

The Palais des festivals is reflected in a shop window during preparations for the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 13, 2024. The Cannes film festival runs from May 14 until May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Jury president Greta Gerwig, center, poses with jury members Omar Sy, from left, Lily Gladstone, Eva Green, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nadine Labaki, and Ebru Ceylan during the jury photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/Invision/AP)

Meryl Streep poses for photographers during the honorary Palme d'Or photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/Invision/AP)

Jury president Greta Gerwig, left, poses with jury members Eva Green and Lily Gladstone during the jury photo call at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)