At least two tents at the Oktoberfest festival collapsed during a storm Wednesday evening, injuring more than 30 people, authorities said.

An estimated 5,000 people were under the Bier Garten tent and about 2,000 people were under another tent when they collapsed.

EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said 21 people were taken to hospitals, one of them in critical condition.

Authorities said that when it started raining, festivalgoers started pouring into the tents to stay dry. Then a gust of wind hit. The poles that held up the tents leaned with the wind, and then the tents collapsed.

Kathryn Cooper, a Tulsa World employee who was at Oktoberfest with her son, said the wind "picked up the tent like it was nothing and slammed it into us."

"I dove under the table when it happened," she said.

Her 15-year-old son, Kellan, was hit in the back by a tent pole but was not seriously injured.

The Bier Garten, which had 240 picnic tables inside and was full of people, was completely blown over. Other tents, which were not occupied at the time, were ripped and partially collapsed by the storm.

Police evacuated the River West Festival Park, where the event is held.

Event staff said the Oktoberfest committee will decide tonight whether the