NORMAN, Okla. – The Latest on severe weather across the nation's midsection (all times local):
10:50 p.m.
At least one person has been killed by a tornado that roared through a portion of a western Oklahoma town.
The tornado struck about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday and wrecked much of a subdivision on the southern fringe of Elk City, Oklahoma, about 110 miles west of Oklahoma City.
The storm knocked out telephone service into and out of the city. But Fire Chaplain Danny Ringer told reporters at the scene late Tuesday that one person was known dead from the twister. He also said the storm destroyed 40 homes and damaged 50 to 75 others severely.
Elk City school officials have canceled classes for Wednesday.
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8:30 p.m.
Authorities say at least one person died and an estimated 25 others were injured when a tornado struck a trailer park near Chetek in western Wisconsin.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald gave the figures to WQOW-TV, the Leader-Telegram of Eau Claire and the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.
Fitzgerald says many emergency crews are on hand. He told the Eau Claire newspaper the Prairie Lakes Estates trailer park is a mess and they were still searching Tuesday night.
The National Weather Service reported a tornado touchdown in the area just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Chetek Mayor Jeff Martin tells KSTP-TV that several turkey barns in the area were also hit hard.
Several tornado warnings were issued as severe thunderstorms moved east across western Wisconsin and northern Wisconsin as the night went on.
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7:45 p.m.
A tornado struck a rural area in western Oklahoma, leaving damage in its wake but no immediate reports of injuries.
The storm struck a subdivision about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday just south of Elk City, Oklahoma, about 110 miles west of Oklahoma City.
Beckham County Emergency Management Director Lonnie Risenhoover (RYE'-zuhn-hoo-vur) said "a lot of tornado damage" has been reported to the subdivision and surrounding rural area. He says some homes and outbuildings have been damaged severely and utility poles and lines are down. Cattle have been killed, but he says he has no immediate reports of human injuries.
Other tornadoes in western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle have downed power lines and utility poles, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
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7:20 p.m.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says at least 20 people were injured when a tornado hit a mobile home park near Chetek in western Wisconsin.
The tornado damaged the Prairie Lakes Estates trailer park north of Chetek. The National Weather Service reported a touchdown in the area just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Sheriff's dispatchers say they're too busy to provide details.
Chetek Mayor Jeff Martin tells KSTP-TV that numerous emergency vehicles have gone to the trailer park. He estimates the park had around 50 homes.
Martin also says several turkey barns in the area were hit hard.
Several tornado warnings were issued as severe thunderstorms moved east across western Wisconsin.
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7 p.m.
Scattered tornadoes have been reported in the nation's midsection.
The National Weather Service has received scattered reports of tornadoes among the severe thunderstorms rumbling Tuesday afternoon over the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma, downing power lines and toppling utility poles but having little other effect.
The weather service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, says the greatest risk of tornadoes is in western Oklahoma and the eastern Panhandle of Texas with a slight chance of tornadoes extending from southern Texas across the western half of Oklahoma through Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa in addition to southeastern Minnesota and northwestern Missouri.
The Storm Prediction Center says strong wind gusts and large, damaging hail are possible throughout the region.
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