Powerful tornadoes ripped through north-central Oklahoma late Thursday, injuring at least 10 people, flattening dozens of homes and forcing Vance Air Force Base to close as damage assessments continued Friday morning.
A large, slow-moving tornado tracked through Enid, a city of about 50,000 people roughly 65 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, Thursday evening, triggering a rare tornado emergency — the National Weather Service’s most urgent category of tornado warning. The twister remained on the ground for approximately 40 minutes, with the hardest-hit areas including the Gray Ridge Estates neighborhood on the south side of the city, where more than 40 homes were destroyed and debris blanketed the streets.
Keli Cain, public affairs director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, told CBS News Friday morning that no deaths had been reported but that between 10 and 15 people had sustained injuries. Enid Mayor David Mason said no severe injuries were sustained and that crews completed a preliminary search overnight, with a secondary search planned for early Friday morning.
Vance Air Force Base, the Air Force’s fourth-busiest airfield, was closed until further notice as crews worked to restore water and power. “Only mission essential personnel required to support critical operations and restoration of base utilities should report for duty,” base officials said in a Facebook statement. “All other personnel should remain at home and monitor official base communication channels for updates and reporting instructions.” Base officials said all personnel had been accounted for.
Additional thunderstorms moved through Enid roughly an hour after the tornado dissipated, with heavy rain and gusty winds complicating search and rescue efforts, and a flash flood warning was briefly in effect for the city.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he had spoken with local leaders in Enid and pledged that state resources would remain available through the recovery.
“Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado,” Mr. Stitt said in a statement posted to Facebook. “I urge everyone to stay weather aware, follow local warnings, and take shelter immediately when directed.”
The National Weather Service office in Norman confirmed the tornado but had not yet released a formal damage survey establishing its Enhanced Fujita rating, path length or maximum width.
The severe weather was the first of at least five consecutive days of considerable storm risk for the region, with tornado threats in place each day through Monday alongside risks for damaging wind gusts and large hail. Sunday and Monday carry the potential to be the most dangerous days of the stretch, though the forecast remains uncertain as conditions develop.
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