Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – A tornado outbreak in Oklahoma has left a trail of destruction, with severe tornado-spawning storms threatening more twisters, heavy rain, and large hail spreading from Missouri to Texas on Sunday.
Multiple large and extremely dangerous tornadoes hit parts of Oklahoma overnight, causing injuries, property damage, flooding, and downed power lines and trees across several counties. The extent of the damage remains unclear as of early Sunday.
The city of Sulphur, located over 80 miles from Oklahoma City, experienced injuries and impacts from at least two large tornadoes overnight. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the city as well.
As the severe weather continued, nearly 47 million people in the region were at risk of severe weather on Sunday, stretching from east Texas to the upper Mississippi River Valley, with communities in Nebraska and Iowa assessing the aftermath of the storms that had already passed through.
Cities such as Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, Topeka, and the Kansas City metropolitan area were warned of the potential for strong tornadoes as the storms moved eastward across the southern Plains.
Over 7 million people were under tornado watches early Sunday, with the watch areas spanning over 800 miles from Texas to southern Wisconsin. The watches were expected to expire between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. CT.
Emergency operations were activated in Oklahoma on Saturday as Gov. Kevin Stitt urged residents to stay weather aware and know where to seek shelter in case of severe storms.
In addition to the tornadoes, heavy rainfall accompanying the storms raised concerns of potential flash flooding in the affected areas. The Storm Prediction Center increased the severe storm threat level for Sunday from eastern Texas to southern Missouri.
Images of flattened homes and debris covering communities were seen in Nebraska and Iowa after multiple tornadoes touched down on Friday. Residents in Omaha and Nebraska were left reeling from intense damage to their homes, with Elkhorn being one of the hardest-hit communities.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen expressed relief that there were no reported deaths from the tornadoes, emphasizing the resilience of Nebraskans in rebuilding efforts. As the Midwest continues to face unsettled weather conditions, the affected regions are urged to remain vigilant and prepared for further severe weather events.