(Reuters) - Two people died when a tornado struck El Reno, west of Oklahoma City, on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Canadian County emergency management director.
"We've got numerous injuries and we've got several homes totally destroyed," said the director, Jerry Smith. "We're out doing some assessments as we speak, trying to do some search and rescue in the area to make sure everyone's accounted for."
The tornado, which caused extensive damage in the town of about 15,000, was one of at least five that touched down in Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
"There are numerous trucks and cars overturned along Interstate 40," said Rick Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman.
"It was a large tornado visually," Smith said.
Other towns that have suffered damage include Guthrie, which is north of Oklahoma City, and several towns near Norman, though Norman itself did not have significant damage, Smith said.
"It's not over," Smith said Tuesday evening.
KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City showed images of flattened homes, downed power poles, overturned cars and downed trees in Goldsby, south of Norman. Goldsby is a rural town of about 1,200 people.
In Norman, security guard Kay Johnson hunkered down at her home as the storm approached. Sirens went off three times as the storm neared, she said.
"It was moving very fast, it was raining real hard and there was some hail. Then everything stopped," Johnson said.
"Now the sun is trying to come through. But I see dark clouds building again."
The state had been bracing all day for violent weather as the National Weather Service reported conditions were ripe for tornadoes.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin told the Weather Channel that state employees were dismissed at 3 p.m. CDT on Tuesday because the storms were expected to hit the metropolitan area two hours later, during the afternoon rush hour.
"Stay on top of this storm, take it seriously," she said.
"I've seen many homes that have been destroyed, wiped off their foundations, trucks overturned on the highways. Get out of the way and don't drive into it."
Two high schools in Oklahoma City rescheduled graduation ceremonies that had been scheduled for Tuesday evening.
A new round of tornadoes began two days after a monster twister ripped through the heart of Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 118 people. It was the deadliest single tornado in the United States in some 64 years.
"We've got numerous injuries and we've got several homes totally destroyed," said the director, Jerry Smith. "We're out doing some assessments as we speak, trying to do some search and rescue in the area to make sure everyone's accounted for."
The tornado, which caused extensive damage in the town of about 15,000, was one of at least five that touched down in Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
"There are numerous trucks and cars overturned along Interstate 40," said Rick Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman.
"It was a large tornado visually," Smith said.
Other towns that have suffered damage include Guthrie, which is north of Oklahoma City, and several towns near Norman, though Norman itself did not have significant damage, Smith said.
"It's not over," Smith said Tuesday evening.
KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City showed images of flattened homes, downed power poles, overturned cars and downed trees in Goldsby, south of Norman. Goldsby is a rural town of about 1,200 people.
In Norman, security guard Kay Johnson hunkered down at her home as the storm approached. Sirens went off three times as the storm neared, she said.
"It was moving very fast, it was raining real hard and there was some hail. Then everything stopped," Johnson said.
"Now the sun is trying to come through. But I see dark clouds building again."
The state had been bracing all day for violent weather as the National Weather Service reported conditions were ripe for tornadoes.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin told the Weather Channel that state employees were dismissed at 3 p.m. CDT on Tuesday because the storms were expected to hit the metropolitan area two hours later, during the afternoon rush hour.
"Stay on top of this storm, take it seriously," she said.
"I've seen many homes that have been destroyed, wiped off their foundations, trucks overturned on the highways. Get out of the way and don't drive into it."
Two high schools in Oklahoma City rescheduled graduation ceremonies that had been scheduled for Tuesday evening.
A new round of tornadoes began two days after a monster twister ripped through the heart of Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 118 people. It was the deadliest single tornado in the United States in some 64 years.
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