A mother and a daughter have been killed in severe storms in northern Oklahoma, as strong winds and a dangerous tornado hit the area, authorities have said.
The unidentified pair were killed while driving on Thursday night near Fairview, a small city 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, the city’s emergency management director Danny Giager told NBC News.
“Our main focus was a missing mother and daughter who were driving down the road and they were later found deceased,” Giager said. He confirmed the crash took place on State Highway 60 and 243, about 10 minutes’ drive west of Fairview.
The region has been hit by strong storms and high winds, taking down power lines and some trees.
The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, confirmed that a “dangerous” tornado made its way through norther parts of the state and made it way towards the Kansas border.
NBC affiliate KFOR of Oklahoma City reported that the tornado touched down near the town of Helena, Oklahoma City, causing widespread damage. No injuries have yet been reported.
A local photographer captured dramatic footage of an enormous funnel cloud west of Fairview on Thursday night.
The bad weather was set to continue Friday and into the weekend. The National Weather Service warned that severe thunderstorms and flash flooding were possible for portions of the Plains and the Midwest on Friday into Saturday.
Threats include the risk of hail potentially measuring 2 inches or more, strong winds up to 75 mph and a few tornadoes.
Major population areas at risk Friday include Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Louis, Peoria, Des Moines and Oklahoma City. And the severe conditions could continue Saturday from southeast Texas to Mississippi and the eastern Great Lakes.
