More Twisters Threaten As Homes Are Wrecked

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Tornadoes have destroyed dozens of homes and flipped over cars as they tore through communities across three Great Plains states.

One of the twisters left homes in Bridge Creek, Amber and Blanchard - south-west of Oklahoma City - in ruins on Wednesday, while a second tornado saw vehicles along Interstate 35 overturned and power lines downed.

Lara O'Leary, of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, said the company carried 12 people to hospitals from a trailer park south of Oklahoma City.

Animals from a zoo around 25 miles from the city in Grady County were all accounted for, according to sheriff's office dispatcher Alisa Voegeli. Initial reports had claimed tigers from the zoo had escaped, but the Grady County Sheriff's Office said bears had briefly got out before being put back into their enclosures.

At least nine tornadoes were also reported in Kansas and up to 15 homes were damaged by a twister in Nebraska near Grand Island, Hardy and Ruskin.

The storms have seen six inches of rain fall in the south of Oklahoma City, prompting the city to issue a flash flood emergency for the first time in its history.

Ms O'Leary said the ambulance service had responded to water rescues "all over" the Oklahoma City metro area, while two ambulance crews needed assistance after getting stuck in high water.

The Storm Prediction Center had warned that bad weather would hit the area, known as Tornado Alley, with more storms possibly affecting the area later this week and flooding a major concern.

Grady County Emergency Management director Dale Thompson said 10 homes were destroyed in Amber, and 25 in Bridge Creek.

Forecasters declared a tornado emergency in Moore, where seven schoolchildren were among 24 people killed in a storm two years ago.

Passengers at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City were evacuated to a tunnel outside the security zone twice as tornadoes neared the area.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission said more than 10,000 homes and businesses have been left without power.