Tornadoes rip apart homes, uproot trees after severe storms pummeled Texas, Oklahoma

Several tornadoes were spotted moving across Oklahoma and Texas Friday. Amid rolling tornado warnings, the National Weather Service was forced to issue some of its most serious warnings, including a Tornado Emergency and Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Warning.

Severe weather across the Plains Friday spawned several destructive tornadoes, causing major damage in Oklahoma and Texas. The National Weather Service was forced to issue some of its most serious warnings, including a Tornado Emergency and Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Warning. 

Reports of 1-inch hail and wind gusts over 60 mph came in early Friday afternoon across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area and parts of southeast Oklahoma. 

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Photos and video from U.S. Highway 75 between Sherman, Texas, and Durant, Oklahoma, showed a tractor-trailer flipped completely over on its roof next to the highway and a mobile building in pieces.

A confirmed tornado was spotted west of Paris, Texas, on Friday afternoon. The NWS will have to survey the damage.

After the storm cell passed, photos from weather watchers in Paris showed power poles leaning, and trees knocked over.

The severe weather threat unfolded into the evening Friday in East Texas.

One tornado was seen about 8 miles south of Sulphur Springs, located northeast of Dallas. The tornado in the video below can be seen snaking behind a treeline on the horizon, kicking up dust and debris as it swirled through.  

A weather watcher in Miller Grove, Texas, captured a tornado kick up dust and debris as it swirled through a field.

A tornado also struck and leveled the small town of Powderly, Texas. The town was in the path of a tornado-warned storm on Friday afternoon. As seen in images captured soon after the storm moved through, tree branches were stripped bare and homes were brought to the ground.

Located in Lamar County northeast of Dallas, Powderly has a population of 966 with a median age of 56.9 years old, according to Census Reporter.

In Athens, a weather watcher recorded the video below of a rain-wrapped tornado moving through the area. 

Homes, businesses and infrastructure suffered major damage in Chicota and Athens, Texas.

Forecasters with the Storm Prediction Center issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Warning as a confirmed tornado was on the ground in Idabel, Oklahoma. Forecasters later upgraded this warning to a Tornado Emergency. 

Earlier on Friday, several mobile homes were damaged in Bryan County, Oklahoma, which was under a Tornado Warning until 2:30 p.m. CT.

One person was injured, and a home was destroyed in southeast Oklahoma, according to the McCurtain County Sheriff's Office and NWS Shreveport office. 

As the worst of the storm moved from Fort Worth over Dallas, dark storm clouds blanketed Interstate 35 and the Texas Motor Speedway. 

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The DFW area was under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Friday afternoon, and a 63 mph wind gust was recorded at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. More than 100 fights were delayed during the severe weather threat.

Thousands of customers across East Texas and southeast Oklahoma were without power Friday evening as the storm cell continued to shift the tornado threat northeast.

Tornado Watches were in effect for areas in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas through Saturday at midnight Central Time. 

NWS Dallas meteorologist Ted Ryan told FOX Weather the NWS would be out surveying damage in at least three areas the day after the severe weather.

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