Twisters Strike Central US, EF2 Tornado Causes Damage in Oklahoma

Severe weather outbreak in the Central US led to a series of twisters hitting the region, including an EF2 tornado in Wayne, Oklahoma where it left a trail of destruction.

The overnight Wayne tornado did not cause any casualties but damaged several structures when it struck the Oklahoma town in the early morning of Tuesday, December 13.

The Central US severe storms came while a winter storm is gripping other parts of the US, including the West Coast and East Coast with relative heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and freezing temperatures.

The nationwide winter weather caused widespread travel disruption across the country, including the putting road traffic movement into a standstill and causing flight delays, especially in the Northeast.

Oklahoma Tornado

(Photo : Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

An EF2 tornado under the Enhanced Fujita or EF scale struck Wayne before 5:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, leaving a damage in the town of over 600 residents.

A drone video from storm chaser named Mike Scantlin showed the twister's damage, including a completely destroyed home buried by fallen trees and other debris, according to AccuWeather.

The American Red Cross of Oklahoma on Tuesday were assisting residents of Wayne, which is located 43 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, at a local church turned response center for people affected by the EF2 twister.

The organization then went to the Garvin and McClain counties to support residents impacted by the tornadic storm.

Also Read: February's Tornado Season May Bring Powerful Twisters in the US

Texas-Louisiana Border Tornado

Damages caused by a tornado have been reported along the Texas-Louisiana border on Tuesday afternoon, several hours after a separate tornado hit Oklahoma.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Shreveport, Louisiana, confirmed that a massive and deadly tornado occurred at 3:40 p.m. local time, as cited by the US weather forecasting company.

The Texas-Louisiana border tornado churned its way through Harrison, Texas, shredding several trees and damaging a large outbuilding, according to a report by a local storm chaser, as cited by AccuWeather.

Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the NWS office in Fort Worth, Texas, said that five tornadoes have been confirmed based on a video and eyewitness evidence, estimating that up to 12 twisters transpired on Tuesday morning.

The evidence is based on dozens of reports received by local authorities of damage from severe and tornadic thunderstorms.

At least five people were also reported injured in the town of Grapevine, just west of Dallas, Texas.

In addition, reports also said students were forced to following "shelter in place" order after multiple tornado warnings were issued by the US weather authorities.

Thunderstorm and Tornadoes

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a tornado is a narrow, violent rotating air column that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground and they are among the most violent atmospheric storms we experience.

The NOAA says tornadoes occur in different parts of the world, including, Australia Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

In the US, approximately 1,200 tornadoes occur across the country each year since official tornado records started back in 1950.