Storm makes mark on Skiatook: From flying awnings to City Hall damage

Strong winds from Saturday’s storms left significant damage behind in Skiatook, with City Hall taking a direct hit.

A Wild Start to the Morning

It was a wild start to the morning for Charles Braun. Storm winds sent a large, outdoor awning flying across Highway 20 where it landed near Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts in Skiatook just before opening hours. The awning, which belonged to a store across the road, somehow made the leap over 4 lanes of traffic before ending up in front of the shop. Despite the surprise landing near the store, Braun, who’s the manager, says there’s no damage to the business.

“With the high winds we had, I guess it just picked it up and decided to carry it over as a yard ornament for me this morning," he said. 

Damage at City Hall

The storm did leave its mark on Skiatook City Hall. High winds tore off sections of the roof, and the rain caused some water damage inside the building. Vice Mayor Cody Fuentes says cleanup crews showed up early to assess the damage and begin cleanup. He says the first step is fixing the roof, but their main focus is on moving forward.

“Try to get it functional and try to get it operational for the next storm and try to get it repaired properly once we get through everything,” he said. 

What's Next?

Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts is working with the city to remove the awning.

For Skiatook’s City Hall, the Vice Mayor says they found a temporary spot to work out of as repairs begin. He says it could take months to fix the building entirely.