WYNNEWOOD, Okla. — A tornado described by weather forecasters as "large and extremely dangerous" cut a path through the Oklahoma landscape. At least one elderly man was killed by the tornado near Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and a second man died near the town of Connerville from another strong tornado.
The Storm Prediction Center had warned that a "substantial tornado risk" could linger late into the evening Monday in portions of the Southern Plains and the Ozarks. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed a five-mile section of Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Dallas as one massive storm approached.
Meteorologists said twisters with wind speeds above 111 mph were possible from eastern Oklahoma to central Arkansas. Hail 2 inches or more in diameter was also possible from eastern Texas to southeastern Kansas.
About 41 million people from Houston to Sioux City, Iowa, were at risk for some type of stormy weather.