Officials: Twelve confirmed dead in Newton County

Twelve fatalities have been confirmed as a result of the tornado that swept through Newton County Saturday evening, officials said during a press conference this morning:

Keith Stammer, serving as the public information officer for the Newton County Emergency Management team, said the tornado touched down at approximately 6 p.m. Saturday, starting at the Oklahoma-Missouri state line at Highway 43 and Iris Road.

The tornado continued east along Iris Road, causing massive damage along Iris Road, and in the areas of the city of Racine, Ibex Road, Hammer Road, and multiple other roads and intersections. The tornado continued east and caused damaged in southern Granby and massive destruction in the small community of Newtonia.

"We have several houses that have been either damaged or destroyed," Stammer said. "We have some businesses that have been damaged or destroyed, and we have several vehicles that were caught on Highway 43 that contributed to the fatality toll."