Tornado levels homes in Enid, Oklahoma, leaves several injured

A tornado that tore across Enid, Oklahoma, left homes flattened, residents trapped by debris and an Air Force base scrambling to restore power and water after a fast-moving outbreak escalated into destruction on the city’s south side.

State emergency officials said Friday morning that no deaths had been reported and that 10 to 15 injuries had been confirmed. Later local reports described those injuries as minor. The confirmed tornado crossed parts of Enid, a city of about 50,000 people in Garfield County near Oklahoma’s northern border, and storm trackers said it remained on the ground for about 40 minutes.

The heaviest damage was concentrated in the Gray Ridge neighborhood, where some homes were knocked down and others were left with major structural damage. Police, the Enid Fire Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducted home searches after the storm, and some residents had to be rescued from homes blocked by debris. The scale of the damage showed how quickly the storm moved from warning to destruction, with a concentrated path that hit neighborhoods before crews could finish assessing the full impact.

Vance Air Force Base in Enid was closed until further notice because of ongoing power and water restoration work, with only mission-essential personnel told to report. Oakwood Christian Church opened as a shelter for residents affected by the tornado, giving displaced families a place to gather as crews worked through damaged blocks and utility outages. Enid Public Schools canceled Eisenhower Elementary for Friday, April 24, because of the base closure.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said he had spoken with Enid leaders and would keep working with them to assess damage and identify needs. His warning for residents was blunt: stay weather aware and take shelter immediately when directed. The response underscored the central challenge in a community like Enid, where tornado threats are familiar but the window to act can still be painfully short.

Enid has a long tornado history. National Weather Service records show tornadoes in and near the city dating back to 1875, including an EF2 tornado in 2009 near northwest Enid and other damaging storms over the decades. Thursday’s tornado added another entry to that record, and a reminder that even a city accustomed to severe weather can be overwhelmed in less than an hour.