Millions in central US on alert for more severe weather after tornadoes tear through Oklahoma City

OAKLAHOMA CITY - Tens of millions of people in the central U.S. from Texas to the Midwest will be on alert for severe weather through the start of the workweek as cleanup efforts continue in the Oklahoma City metro after tornadoes left widespread damage and injuries across the region.

At least five people have been injured in Oklahoma City, and numerous homes and businesses received major damage because of the tornadoes. Crews are still working to clear debris from roadways and restore power.

So far, the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, said survey teams found damage consistent with at least an EF-2 tornado in Valley Book, Oklahoma. Forecasters say they believe at least seven tornadoes touched down in the region, but that number could rise to 12 or 13.

Oklahoma City again in bull’s-eye for severe weather on Sunday

The Oklahoma City area has already been hit hard by severe weather, and the threat will continue throughout the day on Sunday and into the start of the new workweek on Monday.

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) says severe thunderstorms will be possible across a wide area of the southern and central Plains.

More than 10 million people from Texas through Oklahoma and into portions of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas have been placed in a Level 2 out of 5 risk on the SPC’s 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale on Sunday.

This includes cities such as Dallas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

However, there is a higher storm threat across portions of North Texas and southeastern Oklahoma on Sunday, and that region has been placed in a Level 3 out of 5 risk.

This higher threat zone includes cities like Sherman, Denison and Gainesville in Texas, as well as Ardmore and Ada in Oklahoma.

The SPC says multiple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to move across the region through Sunday night, some of which could produce tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts.

Damaging winds and large hail have already pounded the region, with 80-mph wind gusts being reported in Checotah and Adair in Oklahoma during the severe weather late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

34 million from Texas to Midwest face severe weather threat on Monday

More than 34 million people from Texas to the Midwest will need to keep an eye on the sky on Monday as the threat of severe weather grows to cover a larger area of the central U.S.

Powerful storms are possible in cities like Dallas and Houston in Texas, as well as Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma and St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri.

However, the SPC placed nearly 2 million people from East Texas through eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas and southwestern Missouri in a Level 3 out of 5 risk for severe weather.

Thunderstorms that develop on Monday will be capable of producing tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts.