Large tornado hits Enid, Oklahoma, damaging homes and Vance AFB, at least 10 injuries reported

A large tornado touched down in Enid, Garfield County, northern Oklahoma, during the evening of Thursday, April 23, following a severe weather outbreak across the region. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Norman confirmed the presence of a tornado, but a formal damage survey determining its Enhanced Fujita (EF) rating, path length, and maximum width has not yet been released.

Structural damage was reported across multiple parts of Enid (population 50 000), with homes sustaining roof loss and, in some cases, complete structural failure. Power infrastructure was also affected, with downed poles and lines reported, leading to localized outages. Damage extended into areas near Vance Air Force Base, where officials initiated accountability procedures to verify the safety of personnel.

Emergency services said they conducted search-and-rescue operations in impacted neighborhoods, including door-to-door checks for trapped or injured residents.

Initial official reports mention at least 10 injured people. While local authorities reported no immediate fatalities in the initial hours following the tornado’s passage, some local reports mention 1 fatality.

Vance Air Force Base officials said the base is closed until further notice due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts.

“Only mission-essential personnel required to support critical operations and restoration of base utilities should report for duty. All other personnel should remain at home and monitor official base communication channels for updates and reporting instructions.

Those impacted by the tornado can go to the Chisholm Trail Expo Center at 111 West Perdue Ave, Enid, OK, for shelter and additional assistance.”

Local media reported severe damage in residential areas south of Enid, including neighborhoods where homes were flattened and debris fields extended across roads and properties.

Additional reports described tornado activity north of Enid near Braman, where multiple tornadoes or vortices were observed.

The event occurred within a broader severe weather setup identified by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), which issued an Enhanced Risk for parts of northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas earlier in the day. A Tornado Watch covering the Enid area was issued at 22:12 UTC (17:12 local time).

SPC received 17 tornado reports on April 23 — 7 from Kansas, 6 from Iowa, and 4 from Oklahoma.

References:

¹ SPC Storm Reports for April 23 – NWS/SPC – Accessed at 07:15 UTC on April 24, 2026

² Tornado Watch issued for Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri, higher-end threat expected across Kansas and Oklahoma – The Watchers – April 23, 2026