A tornado struck the Oklahoma city of Enid on Thursday as severe storms swept through several states, officials said.
Enid, a city of around 50,000 in the north central part of the state about 65 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, said first responders were conducting emergency operations in the Gray Ridge area.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said there have been 10 to 15 injuries and no reports of fatalities.
"First responders are continuing secondary searches of locations impacted by the tornado," the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Vance Air Force Base, in the southwestern part of Enid, said it will remain closed until further notice due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts.
In an update on Friday, the base said that all personnel have been accounted for and the fitness center will open for personnel requiring assistance.
"Only mission-essential personnel required to support critical operations and restoration of base utilities should report for duty,” the base said in a statement. "All other personnel should remain at home and monitor official base communication channels for updates and reporting instructions."
The base said it was assessing the extent of damage.
Dave Lamerton said his family knew the tornado was going to hit his son’s woodworking shop.
"We’re just going through everything this morning kind of finding the sense of humor and being blessed that nobody was hurt," he told NBC News.
What remained of the shop was a pile of rubble.
"Luckily, it’s just damage and we can replace that," he said. "You can’t replace people."
Lamerton said his son has been in the woodworking business for 15 years and has been at that location for three years. He said he’s never seen such a powerful tornado come through Enid.
"A lot of times, they’ll skirt north of us or south of us. But this one, gosh, thank God it didn’t hit Vance because it was right on the edge of Vance," he said, referring to the Air Force base.
Enid Mayor David Mason said the tornado caused significant damage to the Gray Ridge neighborhood and the southern parts of the city.
"I am very grateful to report that while homes have sustained significant damage, there have been no fatalities and only minor injuries sustained," he said in a statement on Facebook.
Mason asked people to avoid the Gray Ridge area so crews can work to make it accessible.
"We ask all residents to respect perimeter controls and allow first responders to determine when it is safe to allow non-residents into the area," he said.
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he has spoken with city leaders.
"Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado," Stitt said on X.
"My prayers are with everyone on Vance Air Force Base and the surrounding neighborhood, and I am asking God to bring healing and comfort in the days ahead," he said.
There were 18 reports of tornadoes on Thursday, including a preliminary EF3 that struck Enid. The National Weather Service for the region said that a confirmed tornado had moved across the far-southeastern parts of Enid at 8:40 p.m.
A tornado emergency had been declared for parts of the city and the surrounding area, and the region had been under a tornado watch until 11 p.m.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said that the Red Cross was staged on the west side of the Chisholm Trail Expo Center on Thursday night for anyone needing assistance.
Video recorded in the area showed a large, dark funnel cloud touching the ground.
Justin Parrish, who lives in Enid and owns a towing company there, said that he was surprised by the size of the storm.
"It got calm and I went out and was shocked," he said. “Luckily it did not hit us.”
Chance Jones, a drummer for rock band Hinder, also recorded video of the tornado, as he was outside a hotel in Enid.
"We were about to get on our bus! This was crazy," Jones said.
Tornadoes have been reported in Oklahoma, Iowa and Kansas on Thursday, according to the weather service.
As of Friday afternoon, a cluster of thunderstorms with frequent lightning, heavy rain, and gusty winds was moving through Arkansas, northwest Mississippi, and western Tennessee.
In Kay County, Oklahoma, northeast of Enid, Sheriff Steve Kelley said that trees and power lines were torn down, and that one home and barns were among the structures damaged.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said that he and his wife were urging everyone to be safe.
"Cindy and I are praying for all Oklahomans in harm’s way tonight as severe storms, damaging winds, and tornadoes move across our state," he said on social media.
The severe weather is expected to continue throughout the weekend, with 13 million people at risk Friday for severe storms from eastern Texas to the Mississippi/Alabama border. There are threats of hail, wind gusts of up to 60 mph and a few tornadoes.
On Saturday, 7 million people from north central Kansas to central Arkansas are at risk, and Sunday, 12 million from Nebraska to northern Texas.
By Monday, 32 million people will be expected to experience severe storms from southern Wisconsin to northern Mississippi.
