Strongest tornado so far in 2026 confirmed on Thursday
The storm on Thursday evening produced EF-4 damage as it damaged and destroyed numerous homes
A large and destructive tornado that tore through parts of Enid, Oklahoma, on Thursday night produced EF-4 damage, according to meteorologists on the scene.
Numerous homes and businesses sustained damage as the powerful storm tracked through the northern Oklahoma community.
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Strong instability and wind shear gave rise to widespread severe thunderstorms across the U.S. Plains states on Thursday afternoon and evening.
An intense supercell in northern Oklahoma spawned a large cone-shaped tornado just after 8:00 p.m. local time.
The twister spent 29 minutes on the ground, during which it caused significant damage to buildings near Enid, which is about an hour-and-a-half north of Oklahoma City. No fatalities were reported, but several people did sustain injuries in the storm.
Meteorologists with the U.S. National Weather Service conducted a survey on Friday afternoon and found EF-4 damage in a couple of spots along the tornado’s path. An EF-4 tornado produces estimated maximum winds of 270 to 310 km/h.
This is now the strongest confirmed tornado so far in 2026. Experts have confirmed more than 430 twisters across the U.S. so far this season, many of which struck unusually far north for this early in the season. Canada hasn’t recorded any confirmed tornadoes so far this year.
Forecasters expect additional rounds of severe weather to persist across the central U.S. through the weekend.