EF4 tornado devastates Enid, Oklahoma amid Thursday's severe weather
An EF4 tornado in Enid, Oklahoma, caused major damage to homes and forced Vance Air Force Base to shut down. It was one of several large tornadoes Thursday evening.
A powerful tornado struck Enid, Oklahoma, on April 23, causing an estimated 40-50 homes to be severely devastated. At least 10 people were injured, but no fatalities were reported.
Tornadoes swept across the Plains on Thursday night, causing widespread damage in Oklahoma, destroying neighborhoods and forcing Vance Air Force Base to close.
Severe storms brought more than 140 reports of hail, damaging winds and at least 20 tornadoes from Oklahoma to Iowa, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.
EF4 tornado devastates neighborhood
Vehicles sit flipped and damaged Friday, April 24, 2026, in the Grayridge neighborhood that was damaged by a tornado Thursday in Enid, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Cleanup is just beginning in Enid, Oklahoma, after a tornado, rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, tore through the town north of Oklahoma City. Search and rescue crews continued checking damaged homes on Friday for potential victims. No deaths have been reported from Thursday’s storms, and Garfield County officials said only minor injuries were reported as of Friday morning.
The National Weather Service estimated winds were at a maximum of 170 mph over the twister's 9.5-mile-long track.
"A tornado caused significant damage to the Gray Ridge neighborhood and southern parts of Enid. I am very grateful to report that while homes have sustained significant damage, there have been no fatalities and only minor injuries sustained," Enid Mayor David Mason wrote on Facebook.
A family looks through debris of their home Friday, April 24, 2026, in the Grayridge neighborhood that was damaged by a tornado Thursday in Enid, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Storm chaser Brandon Clement spoke with a longtime Enid resident who said the tornado sounded like a train as it moved through the area. The resident, who has lived in Oklahoma since 1971, said it was the biggest tornado he has seen.
“It sounded like a locomotive,” he said. “I heard the train …. It was pretty intense for a while.”
Large hail and other tornadoes
Tornado reports from April 23, 2026.
Reports of large hail were also associated with this storm, including a 4-inch hailstone measured near Marion, Kansas, and 3.75 inches at Braman, Oklahoma.
Multiple AccuWeather storm chasers captured other powerful tornadoes across the Plains, including a large twister in Braman, Oklahoma, which sent extreme meteorologist Dr. Reed Timmer sheltering in a ditch.
Severe weather in Braman also spawned a rare "satellite tornado," when a weaker tornado rotated around a parent tornado.
A huge tornado in Braman, Oklahoma, left extreme meteorologist Dr. Reed Timmer stuck in a ditch amid intense conditions.
NOAA satellite imagery showed the supercell responsible for some of the tornado reports in Oklahoma.
Vance Air Force Base in Enid remains closed until further notice, officials said on Facebook, following damage and power outages caused by a tornado. The video showed a large tornado moving through the base Thursday evening.
Dramatic video captured a powerful tornado near Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, on Thursday evening.
“All Vance AFB-assigned personnel have been accounted for, and there are no reported injuries,” Air Force officials said. “Base leadership is conducting damage assessments across the installation and working to ensure the safety and integrity of facilities and infrastructure.”
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said phone lines were down following the severe weather.
A weather station at Vance Air Force Base measured a 107-mph gust during the storm.
An EF1 tornado also occurred on the west side of Joplin, Missouri, very close to where the town's historic tornado occurred in 2011.
National Weather Service teams from multiple offices will be involved in damage assessments to determine the path and strength of the tornadoes from Thursday's event.
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