Tornado rips through Enid, injuring 10 and flattening homes

Severe storms that swept across the central U.S. on Thursday turned Enid, Oklahoma, into one of the outbreak’s hardest-hit points, as a violent tornado tore through the city, flattened homes in the Grayridge neighborhood and left emergency crews working across multiple storm zones at once. Another large tornado was reported near Braman, just south of the Kansas border along Interstate 35, underscoring how quickly the system spread beyond a single town and strained local response efforts.

In Enid, officials said about 10 people were injured and no fatalities were known as of 11 p.m. Thursday. Storm trackers said the tornado stayed on the ground for about 40 minutes. The National Weather Service issued more than half a dozen tornado warnings in north-central Oklahoma, then escalated to a tornado emergency for southeast Enid at 8:22 p.m. CDT after confirming a large and destructive tornado near Vance Air Force Base.

Damage varied sharply across the city. Vance Air Force Base reported only minor damage, but homes in Grayridge were flattened, and the City of Enid said first responders were carrying out emergency response efforts door to door. Residents were told to stay away from the Grayridge area so roads could remain open for emergency crews, utility workers and heavy equipment. In nearby Waukomis, classes were canceled Friday because of tornado damage.

The American Red Cross opened an evacuation shelter at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center, 111 W. Purdue Ave. in Enid, for displaced residents. Gov. Kevin Stitt said he would work with local leaders to assess the damage and get resources to the community, while urging people to stay weather aware and take shelter immediately when directed. The scale of the warnings, the 40-minute tornado track and the damage in multiple communities showed how quickly a single storm complex can overload local preparedness systems as peak severe-weather season approaches.