A mother and daughter were killed Thursday night (March 5) in western Oklahoma after their vehicle was hit by a tornado during a two-day outbreak of severe storms that swept across the Plains and Midwest.
According to County Sheriff’s Maj. Tony Robinson, the two were traveling near State Routes 60 and 243 west of Fairview, Oklahoma, when the tornado struck their vehicle, CNN reported.
A tornado warning was active
A tornado warning was issued for part of Major County between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM Central Time. During the same storm system, strong winds also overturned a semi in the county, which is about 80 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, according to the National Weather Service.
A few tornado reports
Thursday night’s storms produced at least seven reported tornadoes stretching from the Texas Panhandle to south-central Kansas. The severe weather system also brought extremely large hail, with some areas reporting hail the size of golf balls or larger.
Another tornado reported in Grant County, Oklahoma, downed trees and power lines and damaged several structures, according to the weather service.
Damage and large hail reported
Storm watchers reported damage near the Oklahoma communities of Helena, Medford and Orienta. In Hall County, Texas, hail up to 2.25 inches in diameter – about the size of a chicken’s egg – was reported.
The severe weather continues
Forecasters are warning that the outbreak of severe weather will intensify on Friday. Forecasters say severe thunderstorms could bring damaging winds, large hail, flooding rain and potentially strong tornadoes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center said parts of eastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, western Missouri and western Arkansas face the highest risk of stronger tornadoes rated EF2 or higher.
However, scattered severe thunderstorms remain possible over a much wider area — from central Texas to the western Great Lakes, including parts of Wisconsin and Michigan.
The governor reacts to the tragedy
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said on social media that he was “praying for the family as they mourn this tragic loss, as well as those affected by the storms.”
Officials continue to monitor the storm system as it moves across the central United States.
