Destructive tornado hits Oklahoma as pattern shift brings back-to-back days of severe weather threats

By Meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Briana Waxman, and CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Holly Yan

(CNN) — Multiple tornadoes roared through the central United States Thursday, including a violent EF-4 twister that caused significant damage and multiple injuries in Oklahoma — the start of a dangerous multiday stretch of severe thunderstorms for the region.

Thursday was the first of at least five consecutive days of considerable severe thunderstorm risks. Friday marks the next, and its first potent storms of the day started firing up in the afternoon in the Southern Plains.

Tornado threats of varying levels are in place each day through Monday, as are risks for damaging straight-line wind gusts and hail.

Enid takes a direct hit from powerful tornado

A large and slow-moving destructive tornado tracked through Enid, Oklahoma, Thursday evening, triggering a rare tornado emergency — the National Weather Service’s most urgent type of tornado warning. Enid is about 65 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

National Weather Service crews on Friday found the tornado did EF-4 damage to multiple areas in south Enid. The damage finding makes the tornado the strongest in the US since June 20, 2025, when an EF-5 twister tore across Enderlin, North Dakota.

Video from CNN affiliate KOCO shows major structural damage, overturned vehicles and widespread debris on the southeast side of the city after the tornado was active for more than 30 minutes. Approximately 40 homes in Enid and surrounding portions of Garfield County were damaged, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

“I am very grateful to report that while homes have sustained significant damage, there have been no fatalities and only minor injuries sustained,” Mayor David Mason posted Friday morning on Facebook.

At least 10 people were injured, KOCO reported, citing the Garfield County emergency manager. CNN has reached out for additional details.

Heavy rain and gusty winds from more thunderstorms complicated search and rescue operations overnight as crews assessed damage and responded to impacted neighborhoods, including the Gray Ridge community and Vance Air Force Base.

Everyone assigned to the base has been accounted for and there were no injuries, but damage assessments are still in progress to “ensure the safety and integrity of facilities and infrastructure,” the base confirmed Friday morning. The base had closed earlier amid power and water restoration efforts, but power was restored and it reopened to personnel mid-Friday morning, the base said in a Facebook post.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he spoke with Enid’s local leaders and will continue working with them as they assess damage and identify needs. “Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado,” he said in a statement on X.

Days of severe storms to come

The shift in the weather pattern that sparked Thursday night’s storms will keep the threat level elevated for damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes in the central US into early next week. Sunday and Monday have the potential to be the most potent days of the stretch, but the forecast hinges on key details.

Friday’s threats are focused on parts of the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, where an expansive Level 2 of 5 risk area is in place. Within it is a more compact Level 3 of 5 risk area, mainly centered on southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas.

Hail and damaging wind gusts are the main threats with any storms from late Friday afternoon into Friday night, but a few tornadoes are possible too. The greatest hail threat — with hailstones potentially bigger than baseballs — is within the Level 3 of 5 area.

A Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Saturday, mainly in Kansas and Oklahoma, including parts of the Oklahoma City metro and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Damaging wind gusts and very large hail — potentially bigger than golfballs — will be the main threats with any storm Saturday, but a few tornadoes are possible.

Saturday’s storms will also likely bubble up in the late afternoon or evening. Thunderstorms will likely develop first in parts of western Kansas and Oklahoma before moving east and intensifying Saturday night.

The forecast gets trickier starting Sunday: There’s lower confidence storms will be able to form, but any that do could be very dangerous, and a Level 3 of 5 risk is in place, mainly centered on Kansas.

There will be plenty of fuel for storms to tap into and explode in strength, but any storms will need a little nudge of energy to start developing in the first place. If the nudge arrives, powerful thunderstorms could fire up late Sunday afternoon or early in the evening and potentially become supercells — though they still likely won’t be widespread. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes would all be possible.

But if the nudge never happens, a lot of atmospheric energy will remain untapped and could help fuel a bigger threat Monday.

Partly because of that chance, a Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Monday from parts of Iowa and Wisconsin to Arkansas and Tennessee.

Monday’s storm threats depend heavily on what unfolds on Sunday, so exactly how powerful storms could become and what areas they could hit will come into better focus as the weekend progresses. Regardless, the entire area should prepare for potential damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes — potentially ones that could produce EF2 damage or greater.

More days of severe thunderstorms could follow into midweek, but any activity will again be tied to what happens on Sunday and Monday.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.