Pattern shift brings back-to-back days of severe weather threats to central US

CNN, WTLV, GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION, RAIGAN BULLARD, ASHLEIGH ANDERSON, ENID BUZZ, ERICA RICH, TRAVIS HOWERTON

By Meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Briana Waxman, and CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Holly Yan

(CNN) — More severe weather is expected in the central United States on Saturday after multiple tornadoes roared through the region earlier in the week, including a violent EF-4 twister that caused significant damage and multiple injuries in Oklahoma — the start of a dangerous multiday stretch of severe thunderstorms for the region.

Thursday was the first of at least five consecutive days of considerable severe thunderstorm risks. Friday’s storms fired up quickly, with supercells dropping a tornado and tennis ball-sized hail in southern Oklahoma, with a tornado reported in Kiowa, Oklahoma.

Thunderstorms also rumbled through Mississippi on Friday. A tree crashed through a house in Pelahatchie, Mississippi, with one minor injury reported.

Tornado threats of varying levels are in place each day through Monday, as are risks for damaging straight-line wind gusts and hail.

Enid takes a direct hit from violent tornado

A large and slow-moving destructive tornado tracked through Enid, Oklahoma, Thursday evening, triggering a rare tornado emergency — the National Weather Service’s most urgent type of tornado warning. Enid is about 85 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

National Weather Service crews on Friday found the tornado did EF-4 damage to multiple areas in south Enid, with some areas completely flattened. The damage finding makes the tornado the strongest in the US since June 20, 2025, when an EF-5 twister tore across Enderlin, North Dakota.

The tornado had winds in the range of 170 to 175 miles an hour and was approximately 500 yards wide at its largest, Rick Smith with the National Weather Service office in Norman said.

Video from CNN affiliate KOCO shows major structural damage, overturned vehicles and widespread debris on the southeast side of the city after the tornado was active for more than 30 minutes. Approximately 40 homes in Enid and surrounding portions of Garfield County were damaged, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a disaster emergency in Garfield County and nearby Kay County Friday to help add resources in the recovery from severe weather.

It is a miracle there were no deaths and only minor injuries with such a large tornado, several local and state officials said during a news conference Friday.

“You can see behind us the damage; it’s just, it’s unbelievable,” Stitt said after surveying the scene. “Thank the Lord that nobody was killed or seriously injured here. It’s just amazing when you see the damage that was here.”

At least 10 people were injured, KOCO reported, citing the Garfield County emergency manager. CNN has reached out for additional details.

Heavy rain and gusty winds from more thunderstorms complicated search and rescue operations overnight as first responders assessed damage, including at Vance Air Force Base.

The base reported no injuries and no major damage but dealt with power and water issues, which have since been resolved, officials said on Facebook. The base will have to reinspect all of its planes before they can fly, Stitt said.

Days of severe storms to come

The shift in the weather pattern that sparked Thursday night’s storms will keep the threat level elevated for damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes in the central US into early next week. Sunday and Monday have the potential to be the most potent days of the stretch, but the forecast hinges on key details.

A Level 4 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Saturday in southeastern Oklahoma, where hail greater than baseball size and strong tornadoes are possible. This threat of tornadoes of EF2+ intensity and large hail extends across eastern Oklahoma into northeastern Texas, including parts of the Oklahoma City metro; Tulsa, Oklahoma, and areas just north of Dallas.

Saturday’s storms will also likely bubble up in the late afternoon or evening. Supercell thunderstorms will likely develop first in parts of central Oklahoma before moving east or southeast and intensifying Saturday night.

The forecast gets trickier starting Sunday: There’s lower confidence storms will be able to form, but any that do could be very dangerous, and a Level 3 of 5 risk is in place, centered on Kansas and extending into far southern Nebraska and western Missouri. Wichita and Topeka, Kansas, are included in the threat area, as well as Kansas City, Missouri.

There will be plenty of fuel for storms to tap into and explode in strength, but any storms will need a little nudge of energy to start developing in the first place. If the nudge arrives, powerful thunderstorms could fire up late Sunday afternoon or early in the evening and potentially become supercells — though they still likely won’t be widespread. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes would all be possible.

But if the nudge never happens, a lot of atmospheric energy will remain untapped and could help fuel a bigger threat Monday.

Partly because of that chance, a Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Monday from parts of Iowa and Wisconsin to Arkansas and Tennessee.

Monday’s storm threats depend heavily on what unfolds on Sunday, so exactly how powerful storms could become and what areas they could hit will come into better focus as the weekend progresses. Regardless, the entire area should prepare for potential damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes — potentially ones that could produce EF2 damage or greater.

The threat of severe thunderstorms will likely extend from northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma into northern Alabama for Tuesday, but any activity will again be tied to what happens on Sunday and Monday. Additional severe thunderstorms are possible into early next weekend.

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Meteorologists Dakota Smith and Linda Lam and CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to this report