Severe weather slammed Pocola, Okla., Thursday night (Aug. 8), even uprooting trees in the area. A tree crashed down at Pocola First Assembly of God Church, prompting crews to clean up the mess of debris.
"The rain was really coming down on our way up. We had to pull over," said motorist Jessica Cripps.
Cleanup crews were sent out to clear the debris in the road.
"I guess we got trees down all over, lightning too. If it had hit a car it would be a problem," said cleanup worker Charles Smith.
Motorist on the road said when severe weather strikes, drivers need to take precaution.
"Definitely not be on the road driving when it's raining that hard, and if you can't see, definitely pull over," Cripps said.
Cripps was on her way back from Fort Smith with her family. She said she couldn’t imagine losing a loved one in severe weather.
“It is scary to not know. Storms can come out of anywhere, and you just never know what's going to happen with trees falling and debris flying everywhere," she said. "It's scary."
Cleanup crews said they planned to work through the night, cleaning up the fallen trees.