Nearly thirty private companies and agencies from all levels of government took part in a large-scale disaster drill at Tulsa International Airport Thursday morning.
The drill simulated a scenario in which a large tornado strikes in Jenks, then on the next day a smaller but deadly tornado hits the airport.
In the scenario, an aircraft bound for Dallas/Ft. Worth from South America gets diverted to Tulsa because of weather, and that aircraft gets badly damaged by the second tornado.
It was designed around two actual incidents, one a small F1 tornado which hit TIA in April, 2006 and the other a tornado which struck Lambert - St. Louis International Airport in April, 2011.
With resources already stretched thin, how will emergency responders handle the second tornado scene, involving as it does international passengers, federally-controlled air space, a large debris field and multiple casualties?
Some 300 participants took part in the exercise, including members of all Tulsa area emergency agencies, the airport, a number of state and federal agencies, and several private companies.
The drill took on added significance in the wake of a massive and deadly EF5 tornado which ripped through Oklahoma City and Moore just over a week ago, killing 24 people and damaging or destroying thousands of buildings and vehicles.