For the first time since it was built, the Henryetta kindergarten safe room was opened to the public Saturday night.

A series of storms developed around Henryetta giving brilliant lightning displays and threatening high winds and hail. Several strong gusts of wind blew down trees in the Schulter and Henryetta area. A Bradford pear tree was nearly split in half in Henryetta, its branches nearly completely covering a car. Nickle-sized hail was reported but nothing like the grapefruit hailstones that pelted parts of western Oklahoma.

In Schulter, several branches were splintered but no major damage reported. The safe room was opened around 9 p.m. and quickly saw about 50 people taking refuge. Those arriving were required to sign in and sign out. One of those families were traveling along Interstate 40 and decided to seek shelter from the storm. They searched the Internet for safety and learned about the school safe rooms. The building, along with the recently-opened STEM building, were both designed to withstand tornadic winds. They have reinforced walls, concrete roof and heavy steel shutters that can be swung over the windows. Several areas of rotation were reported north and west of Henryetta but nothing developed.