EF-4 Tornado Tears Through Enid, Oklahoma, Damaging 40 Homes and Sparing Lives

A violent tornado tore through Enid, Oklahoma, damaging 40 homes while sparing lives, according to emergency officials and meteorologists cited by AP.

“Violent tornado tears through Oklahoma town, damaging 40 homes but sparing lives Violent tornado tears through Oklahoma town, damaging 40 homes but sparing lives ENID, Okla”

AP News

The storm hit Thursday night, with the scene repeating across the city of about 50,000 people about 85 miles north of Oklahoma City as the EF-4 tornado struck, AP reported.

AP News

AP said the tornado was on the ground for 9 miles (14.48 kilometers), packing winds of 170 to 175 mph and measuring 500 yards across at its widest, as meteorologist Rick Smith of the National Weather Service described.

In the aftermath, residents found windows smashed out of a one-story brick home and the roof badly damaged, while Raeann Hunt and her family emerged unscathed after scrambling to a cellar.

NBC News similarly described the tornado striking Enid on Thursday as severe storms swept through several states, with Enid first responders conducting emergency operations in the Gray Ridge area.

NBC News reported that the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said there have been 10 to 15 injuries and no reports of fatalities.

The Weather Channel said the tornado was rated an EF4 by the National Weather Service with winds of at least 170 mph and described it as the first EF4 in Garfield County since April 26, 1991.

Multiple outlets described how Enid residents prepared for the storm and how the tornado moved through the city.

AP said Raeann Hunt scrambled to her cellar as a tornado bore down on her Oklahoma community, and she recalled thinking, “It is headed right for us,” as she peeked outside.

BBC

AP reported that she and others huddled inside a dark 8-by-8 foot (2.44-by-2.44 meters) concrete shelter with her husband, brother-in-law and a neighbor while they heard roaring, metal slapping on the door and glass breaking.

AP said the tornado was on the ground for 9 miles (14.48 kilometers) and measured 500 yards across at its widest, and it described how for those 30 to 40 minutes at least 40 homes were damaged.

NBC News said Enid was under a tornado emergency as the twister entered the town, only the ninth time such an alert has been issued by the National Weather Service's Norman, Oklahoma, office, according to The Weather Channel.

The Weather Channel also said the confirmed tornado moved across the far-southeastern parts of Enid at 8:40 p.m., and that a tornado emergency had been declared for parts of the city and the surrounding area, with the region under a tornado watch until 11 p.m.

FOX Weather described the tornado as a “confirmed large and destructive tornado” located near Vance Air Force Base when the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Emergency at 8:22 p.m. CDT for Southeast Enid.

While the tornado caused widespread damage, officials emphasized that there were no fatalities and only minor injuries reported, even as search and rescue continued.

“A powerful tornado in Oklahoma on Thursday ripped roofs off buildings, destroyed homes, knocked down utility poles and forced an Air Force base to close”

CBS News

NBC News said the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported 10 to 15 injuries and no reports of fatalities, and it quoted the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office saying, “First responders are continuing secondary searches of locations impacted by the tornado.”

CBS News reported that Keli Cain, public affairs director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, told CBS News Friday morning that no deaths have been reported but there have been 10-15 injuries.

Enid Mayor David Mason told NBC News that the tornado caused significant damage to the Gray Ridge neighborhood and the southern parts of the city, and he said, “I am very grateful to report that while homes have sustained significant damage, there have been no fatalities and only minor injuries sustained,” in a statement on Facebook.

AP said police and fire departments and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducted multiple home searches, rescuing some trapped residents, and Enid Mayor David Mason posted online, “This is who Enid is in challenging moments — we continue to show up for one another.”

FOX Weather described a massive search and rescue response and said city and Garfield County officials confirmed Friday that the powerful twister caused only non-life-threatening injuries.

Gov. Kevin Stitt posted on social media, “Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado,” and he added, “My prayers are with everyone on Vance Air Force Base and the surrounding neighborhood.”

The tornado’s impact extended to Vance Air Force Base, which multiple outlets said was damaged and closed while restoration efforts continued.

AP reported that fences and some equipment were knocked down at nearby Vance Air Force Base, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City, and that the base was closed until further notice due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts.

Cedar News

NBC News said Vance Air Force Base would remain closed until further notice due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts, and it quoted the base’s instruction about mission-essential personnel.

NBC News added that all other personnel should remain at home and monitor official base communication channels for updates and reporting instructions.

The Weather Channel said Garfield County includes Vance Air Force Base, which is about 80 miles north of Oklahoma City, and it described the base as damaged by the tornado.

The New York Times said the tornado struck Vance Air Force Base in Enid and reported that a spokeswoman for the Air Force’s 71st Flying Training Wing said there were no reported injuries there.

FOX Weather said nearby Vance Air Force Base reopened Friday morning and confirmed that no one was hurt on the base, while officials were still conducting damage assessments.

The storm’s severity and the wider severe-weather context were described with specific ratings and timelines across outlets.

AP said the EF-4 tornado hit Enid and that it was on the ground for 9 miles (14.48 kilometers), packing winds of 170 to 175 mph and measuring 500 yards across at its widest, citing meteorologist Rick Smith of the National Weather Service.

FOX Weather

The Weather Channel said the tornado was rated an EF4 by the National Weather Service with winds of at least 170 mph and described it as the first EF4 in Garfield County since April 26, 1991.

FOX Weather said the National Weather Service announced the tornado was rated an EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale and described it as the first EF-4 of 2026 and the first EF-4 in Garfield County since April 26, 1991.

FOX Weather also said it was the first EF-4 in Oklahoma since 2024, when two EF-4 tornadoes were reported in Marietta-Lake Murray on April 27, 2024, and Barnsdall and Bartlesville, Oklahoma on May 6, 2024.

NBC News said there were 18 reports of tornadoes on Thursday, including a preliminary EF3 that struck Enid, and it said a confirmed tornado had moved across the far-southeastern parts of Enid at 8:40 p.m.

The Weather Channel said in total there were 17 reports of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Iowa on Thursday, according to the Storm Prediction Center, while The New York Times said the severe weather threat stretched from Texas to the Great Lakes.