Tornado tears off roofs as it barrels through Oklahoma

A powerful tornado in Oklahoma ripped roofs off buildings and reduced others to rubble, knocked down power poles and sent emergency crews rushing into a rural community near Vance Air Force Base, officials said.

The tornado on Thursday moved across parts of Enid, a city of about 50,000 people near the state’s northern border, according to the National Weather Service.

Video showed a rapidly rotating column of air touching down along with ruined homes.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities and only minor injuries hours after the tornado passed through, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities were going door to door in some neighbourhoods to check on residents.

Enid Mayor David Mason said some residents were trapped in their homes by debris and had to be rescued.

Some of the worst damage happened in Gray Ridge, on the south side of the city, he said. “We have quite a few homes knocked down in there,” he told KOCO-TV.

Video from the scene showed piles of rubble where homes once stood. Other buildings appeared to be levelled.

Fences and some equipment were knocked down at Vance Air Force Base, about 80 miles (129km) north of Oklahoma City. The base closed until further notice “due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts”, it posted online on Friday.

“Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado,” Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt posted on social media.

In Kearney, Missouri, north of Kansas City, officials reported downed trees, debris blocking roads and damage to homes on Thursday night after storms passed through the area. Officials said in a social media post that no injuries had been reported.