10 businesses in Tulsa condemned after tornado
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ten businesses in a Tulsa shopping district were so badly damaged by a weekend tornado that they have been condemned, including the TGI Fridays and Whataburger restaurants where several people were injured, city officials said Monday.
Notices posted by city inspectors prohibit 10 commercial structures located in the Highland Plaza district from being occupied or used following the tornado early Sunday morning, just hours after many had closed in the busy midtown area. The businesses are AT&T and Woodcraft stores, AspenDental, Panera, CarTec, Whataburger, TGI Fridays, The Flame Broiler, Vintage Stock and H&R Block.
Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman Kelli Bruer said Sunday that the ambulance company transported 13 people to area hospitals, eight from the TGI Fridays restaurant, which lists its closing time as 1 a.m., four from a 24-hour Whataburger restaurant, and one person who was in the area. The National Weather Service said the tornado struck at 1:19 a.m.
One of the most severely injured was in TGI Fridays and the other was inside the Whataburger, Bruer said.
Allan Chaney, owner of Woodcraft, said the tornado toppled walls and destroyed some of the roof of the store specializing in woodworking tools and supplies.
“The tornado took out about a third of our store,” Chaney said. He said a cinder block wall at the rear of the store and two interior walls were knocked over.
“All of our inventory is knocked all over the place,” Chaney said. “We will hopefully be able to retrieve about 50 percent of it.”