Officials confirmed that one person died in the storms near Wynnewood, Oklahoma, in Garvin County.
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The storm was considered so violent that forecasters declared a “tornado emergency” for towns in the twister’s path.
Garvin County Emergency Management Director Bud Ramming said early Monday evening that the two fatalities were the only ones reported. The National Weather Service says a tornado briefly touched down on the southeast edge of Lincoln, Neb., and there were reports of baseball-sized hail is falling in the area.
Debris flies through the air as a tornado rips through a residential area south of Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
The National Weather Service described that twister as large and destructive, warning people: “You are in a life-threatening situation”.
A waterspout crossed ashore about 8 kilometres north of Oklahoma State University, while yet more tornadoes have been reported near the towns of Orlando and Morrison.
Spotters reported that multiple tornadoes touched down during storms Monday.
Tornadoes destroyed homes, overturned vehicles and stripped the bark from trees as they churned across Oklahoma, part of a strong series of storms that hit the Plains. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. CT.
The first twister, moving in an east northeast direction, formed in a rural area just to the east of Elmore City. Roff has a population of 725; Hickory’s is 71. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed a five-mile section of Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Dallas as one massive storm approached.
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About 41 million people from Houston to Sioux City, Iowa, were at risk for some type of stormy weather.
