Two killed as tornadoes, storms rip through Oklahoma

[April 20, 2023]  (Reuters) - At least two people were killed in McClain County, Oklahoma, as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through several regions of Central U.S. late on Wednesday, local authorities said.

A general view shows damage during a rain-wrapped tornado in Cole, Oklahoma, U.S., April 19, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Hans Duran/via REUTERS

The storms resulted in at least two fatalities with crews responding to several people injured and trapped in their homes, McClain County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post, urging residents to stay out of the affected areas.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes for Wednesday into the night across parts of the Central U.S. including Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa.

Strong thunderstorms with severe weather potential were forecast for Thursday morning into the afternoon, according to the NWS.

Almost 20,000 customers in Oklahoma remained without power as of early Thursday due to the storms, according to the website .

This comes weeks after a tornado tore through southeastern Missouri, killing five people. A previous bout of thunderstorms also unleashed a tornado last month that devastated the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, destroying many of the community's 400 homes and killing 26 people.

(Reporting by Yana Gaur and Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Potter)

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