NORMAN, OK – Severe winds from a tornado-producing storm caused structural damage during a Beach Boys performance at the Riverwind Casino in Norman, OK on Oct. 22, cutting the show short. No one was injured in the incident, but the casino complex, which includes the 1,500-seat venue, sustained significant damage, allowing rainwater to rush inside.
Oklahoma’s governor, Mary Fallin, was among the concert attendees who had to be evacuated to a different area within the casino as the venue lost power and portions of the complex were closed off for repairs.
After making emergency repairs, the casino is expected to resume normal operations later this week. A casino spokesman told reporters there had been no advance warning before the severe weather hit.
The venue is located in the same town where the Event Safety Alliance and National Weather Service co-host ESA’s annual Severe Weather Summit. The 2017 event was held March 9-10, 2017.
