Homes were reduced to rubble as twister touched down for 30 minutes and carved out a trail of destruction
At least 10 people were injured after a tornado hit northern Oklahoma, as a strong weather system produced a dozen reported twisters that tore destructively through parts of the central US overnight.
Emergency services began assessing the most extensive damage in the rural town of Enid as dawn broke on Friday. Homes were reduced to rubble and splintered wood in the city of about 50,000 people near the state’s northern border. A number of videos showed terrifying wind funnels touching down and roaring across the land towards settlements. The largest tornado was reported to have stayed on the ground for 30 minutes, carving a snaking trail of damage.
The intense weather system in Oklahoma hit as by early Friday more than 87 homes were reported destroyed by wildfires sweeping across parts of Georgia, where two blazes have burned tens of thousands of acres amid drought conditions and high winds.
At least 30 million people will find themselves in risk areas for dangerous weather over the next three days, especially as seasonal tornadoes continue and spread over a wider area, including into Illinois, weather services reported.
