Jessica Zimmerman (OU) November 11, 2021
Thursday morning of OIL Session has dawned bright and sunny, but Wednesday night was a different story. As a cold front moved across the state, severe weather kept OIL delegates on their toes.
Session was already in full swing by the time the wind and rain got to Tulsa, but the storm still had an impact. Delegates were in the middle of committee meetings when, one by one, the sound of phone alerts filled the room. A tornado warning had been issued for Tulsa county.
In the House, there was a moment of confusion as delegates tried to figure out if they needed to take shelter. A few minutes later, the tornado sirens went off. The hallways were filled with people making their way to the first floor of the hotel.
Role was called, but by the time all 109 delegates were accounted for, the threat had already passed.
Many delegates have experienced tornado warnings throughout this fall semester. I spoke with Holly Helms from OU and Arielle Quartuccio from OBU. Both representatives recall taking shelter on two separate occasions on their campuses over the past few months.
Delegates of OIL were not phased by the tornado warning. After the brief disruption, they returned to their chambers. House members finished reviewing their bills, and senate members wrapped up bill review in the morning.