Powerful tornadoes struck north-central Oklahoma Thursday evening, impacting Vance Air Force Base, the Enid area and beyond.
Dramatic video showed a large, violent tornado moving through the base and southeast Enid. Storm trackers report the tornado was on the ground for approximately 40 minutes.
Only minor damage was reported at the base, but just to the east, the Gray Ridge neighborhood suffered heavy damage, with homes flattened. In a situation report Friday morning, Oklahoma Emergency Management had identified 40 damaged homes in Garfield County, with damage assessments still underway.
Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a disaster emergency Friday for Garfield and nearby Kay Counties in the wake of the destruction.
Enid emergency management officials said about 10 people were injured, but no fatalities have been reported. Vance Air Force Base was closed overnight during water and restoration efforts. By Friday morning, officials reported all personnel were accounted for and an assistance area was set up at the base’s fitness center.
Some of the damage our crews are finding in Enid this morning. At least EF3 damage has been found so far in the SW side of Enid. #okwx pic.twitter.com/DAM1AaZsIT
— NWS Norman (@NWSNorman) April 24, 2026
Airman Max Fan saw the tornado forming over Vance as he returned from an off-base church event.
“There was a — it's kind of a funnel shaped cloud descending towards the ground,” Fan said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, that's kind of cool.’”
Fan and other base personnel watched the storm develop until it touched down, then headed into the dorms for shelter.
“We’re from all parts of the country,” said Fan, who is from Los Angeles. “So we've never seen anything like this.”
After the storm passed over Vance, it moved east to the Gray Ridge area.
“And as you can tell, it was in full force when it made its turn,” said Dave Lamerton, whose son’s woodworking business was destroyed.
Lamerton said his son lost all his equipment and will need to totally rebuild.
“We flashed a light in and we looked at it and we said, this is, you know, terrible,” he said. “So from that point we just didn't get much sleep last night and waited to get the sun up and went from there.”
Classes were canceled Friday at Eisenhower Elementary on base and in nearby Waukomis due to tornado damage in that community.
Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a statement saying he would work with local leaders to assess damage and get resources to people in the local community who need them.
“My prayers are with everyone on Vance Air Force Base and the surrounding neighborhood, and I am asking God to bring healing and comfort in the days ahead,” Stitt wrote. “As storms continue to move across Oklahoma tonight, I urge everyone to stay weather aware, follow local warnings, and take shelter immediately when directed.”
The American Red Cross has set up an evacuation shelter for those displaced by the storm at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center, 111 W. Purdue Ave.
Karvin Vega is a community disaster program specialist with the Northern Oklahoma Red Cross. He said the shelter is also a hub for donations and volunteer coordination.
“We're getting supplies coming in within the next hour that we're going to take out to the neighborhood,” Vega said. “Shovels, gloves, trash bags. Because we just drove through this morning and there's a lot of families out there sifting through their things.”
Enid Mayor David Mason praised the work of first responders overnight. He said cleanup was the main priority heading into Friday.
“Please continue to pray for those affected, for the families navigating loss, and for each and every first responder who has worked tirelessly through the night,” Mason wrote on social media. “This situation remains ongoing, and we will provide additional updates as information becomes available.”
The National Weather Service issued more than half a dozen tornado warnings in north-central Oklahoma, along with scattered severe thunderstorm warnings in the area. They also issued a rare tornado emergency for the longtrack Enid twister.
Another large tornado touched down near Braman, just south of the Kansas border along Interstate 35. Emergency managers reported damage to barns in the area.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center also received reports of additional tornadoes in Kay and Grant Counties Thursday evening.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
