Easter weekend severe weather leaves at least 5 dead in Oklahoma as storms pummel central US

MOORE, Okla. – Powerful thunderstorms that produced large hail, damaging wind gusts, tornadoes and flooding tore across the Plains and Midwest over Easter weekend, leaving at least five people dead. 

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According to Hughes County Emergency Management in Oklahoma, a tornado with a preliminary rating of EF-1 and winds of 105-110 mph touched down in the community of Spaulding, located southeast of Oklahoma City, on Saturday night.

Officials said the tornado destroyed two homes and several smaller structures, as well as numerous trees.

One person was killed, and two others were injured.

In Moore, at least two people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed when flooding swept their vehicle away late Saturday night.

"It is with great sadness that we report that two individuals, an adult female and 12-year-old male, were later located deceased," police said in a Facebook post.

Police described the event as "historical," and it resulted in dozens of high-water rescues across the city.

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In Leonard, a mother and her 7-year-old daughter were found dead after they were swept away by floodwaters. According to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, the two had been missing but were finally found Monday evening. 

"Due to recent rains, area creeks and rivers are swollen, so we urge motorists to avoid driving through floodwaters," the sheriff's office said.

A tornado with a preliminary rating of EF-1 was also reported in Ada, Oklahoma, as the town was still recovering from an EF-1 tornado, which was part of a deadly March severe weather outbreak in the central U.S. The Ada tornado in March injured one person and displaced two dozen families.

Also in Oklahoma, a dramatic video recorded in the community of Durant showed vivid lightning illuminating the sky as heavy rain fell and sirens wailed Saturday night. Rob Dromgoole recorded the video while he was seeking shelter from the storm. The video continues from inside a tornado shelter, and you can still hear the sirens sounding as the storm moves overhead.

This weekend was active with storms, including tornadoes, in Texas on Saturday. In the above video, a tornado can be seen near Hico, Texas.

Another video recorded south of Sterling City, Texas, showed a tornado moving across the landscape as the storms moved across the region Saturday.

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Sunday's severe storms wreaked havoc on parts of Missouri and Arkansas, areas that have already seen several rounds of dangerous storms this spring. 

A video shared from Central Missouri showed what appeared to be a funnel cloud trying to form during a tornado-warned storm.

Officials in Columbia and Boone County said they were responding to multiple reports of damage after severe weather Sunday. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

According to Columbia Water and Light, all City of Columbia recycling has been suspended indefinitely due to the storms.

In Arkansas, the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office said tornadoes were reported touching down, damaging homes and other structures. Numerous trees and power lines were also brought down during the severe weather.