Powerful Tornado Rips Through Oklahoma Destroying Numerous Homes—and More Storms Are on the Way 

A powerful tornado struck Oklahoma on April 23, causing significant damage. The storm reportedly destroyed 40 to 50 homes, ripped roofs off buildings, knocked down power, and even forced the closure of an Air Force base.

The massive twister was caught on video by storm chasers and some of the 50,000 residents of the town of Enid, one of the cities the National Weather Service confirmed was hit by the storm. 

These videos show how intense and rapid the tornado was, touching down quickly and swiftly totaling homes. 

Keli Cain, public affairs director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security, told CBS News on Friday morning that thankfully no deaths have been reported but there have been 10 to 15 injuries reported so far.

Meanwhile, Enid Mayor David Mason shared several updates online, letting residents know that local police had been sent out to affected areas to begin home searches, as some residents may still be trapped in the debris of their homes. 

"The support from our community has been remarkable. Local businesses have offered equipment and labor, residents have opened their doors, and supplies have poured in already," Mason posted online. "This is who Enid is in challenging moments—we continue to show up for one another."

The night of twisters 

Multiple tornadoes ripped across the heartland Thursday night, according to the Weather Channel. Along with hitting residential areas, Vance Air Force Base was in the line of destruction. An official message on the base’s social media page said officials "are currently conducting accountability procedures to ensure all personnel are safe and accounted for."

But it wasn’t just Enid that was in the line of fire. In total, there were 17 reports of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Iowa on Thursday, according to the Weather Channel's Storm Prediction Center.

A tornado warning even interrupted the Kansas City Chiefs' draft night just as they were preparing to make their second first-round selection. The sirens forced the front-office staff into their draft room for cover. Reporters and other personnel in the training complex sought shelter in an interior hallway, away from windows, where a wall-mounted television displayed the ongoing draft.

"The draft room is in the middle of the building," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "It’s actually one of the shelter spots."

The next round of storms

Unfortunately, according to the Weather Channel, this is just the beginning of severe weather that will affect the heartland. 

Over the next few days, more tornadoes, hail and damaging winds are headed to Texas as well as parts of the upper Midwest and Mississippi Valley, according to its predictions. 

While there will be a reprieve Friday, meteorologists have not ruled out the chance of a brief tornado forming in places like Little Rock, AR. 

But then the extreme wind conditions will ramp up again Saturday in places like Oklahoma City, and a more serious severe weather threat looms starting Sunday.

The Weather Channel predicts a ”threat of supercell thunderstorms is in play in the Central and Southern Plains from parts of Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas, western Missouri, western Arkansas and possibly parts of Nebraska.”

These supercells could could “spawn strong tornadoes, in addition to very large hail and damaging wind gusts,” according to the Weather Channel.