On Sunday night, people in Oklahoma and Kansas saw tornadoes as a strong storm with gusty winds moving from Texas’s panhandle. Oklahoma was still under a tornado alert as of Monday morning.
According to FOX Weather, at least two storms touched down in Oklahoma City, causing devastation in Norman and Shawnee. In southwest Oklahoma, residents noted widespread winds of 70–90 miles per hour.
In Liberal, Kansas, the storm destroyed a house and knocked down trees and electricity lines. Hall County, Texas, saw wind bursts of 114 miles per hour. One individual was hurt in Fort Bliss, El Paso County when they were swept off their feet by winds that surpassed 70 miles per hour.
At 71 mph, the wind surge in El Paso was the sixth highest ever measured there. As a result of swaying power lines, an exit off Interstate 10 in Fort Bliss had to be blocked.
According to forecasters, visibility in the Oklahoma City region could drop to two miles due to drifting dust. On Sunday night, inhabitants of McLean, Texas, were warned to seek shelter from a potential storm.
Forecasters have warned of the potential for derecho-level winds, which can span hundreds of miles and accompany a line of rapidly moving cyclones. Reports of cyclones moving at 100 miles per hour with winds of 90 miles per hour.
Oklahoma issued numerous cautions, watches, and warnings due to the potential for extreme weather.
Meteorologists warned people in the impacted regions to board up windows, slow down while driving, and otherwise prepare for destructive gusts. Possible wind velocities in a tornado could exceed 200 mph, placing it in the F3 category of extremely powerful and destructive cyclones. Some places, including Norman, Oklahoma, saw debris as big as a softball.
The area of potential catastrophic weather impacts over 10 million people and stretches from Texas to Missouri. Several states, including Kansas, Missouri, and western Oklahoma, could experience tornado development.
Strong wind warnings and blowing dust advisories were issued for much of New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma until Monday morning. As the day progresses, the areas of the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys under warnings are anticipated to move eastward.
The greatest danger of catastrophic storms on Monday is anticipated in eastern Kentucky, southern Indiana, and Ohio. However, they could affect the entire region from Indiana and Ohio to Tennessee.
The storm system will move away from the East Coast on Tuesday, reducing the potential for catastrophic weather.
Fox News was the first to report on tornado sightings in Oklahoma and Kansas as severe winds swept across the Midwest.