Oklahoma Tornado: Mother and daughter killed as severe storms slam northern Oklahoma
oklahoma tornado danger turned fatal Thursday night as a mother and her daughter were killed while driving during severe weather in northern Oklahoma. Officials say the pair died near Fairview, about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, after storms brought strong winds and a dangerous tornado through the area. As of Friday, authorities were also warning that additional severe weather could continue into the weekend.
Deadly crash on Highway 60 as storms move through
Danny Giager, Emergency Management Director for the City of Fairview, said the mother and daughter were the main focus of local responders as they were initially missing during the storm. “Our main focus was a missing mother and daughter who were driving down the road and they were later found deceased, ” Giager said.
Giager confirmed the crash occurred at State Highway 60 and 243, roughly a 10-minute drive west of Fairview, during Thursday night’s severe weather. Major County Sheriff Anthony Robinson said investigators believe the vehicle was struck directly by what authorities believe was a tornado while the storm moved through the area.
Robinson said the two were on Highway 60 when the severe weather hit. “We believe that the vehicle was hit directly with a tornado, ” Robinson said, adding that the victims had been on a cellular phone call with a family member before the connection dropped.
Search effort and storm damage across Major County
Robinson said authorities located the vehicle after tracing the phone signal, with multiple agencies working together in difficult conditions. “We had several agencies out here. We had Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma game wardens, Major County Sheriff’s Office, ” Robinson said. He added that Oklahoma Highway Patrol “pinged the cell phone, ” which helped crews locate them.
Beyond the fatal crash, officials described broader damage from the storms. Robinson said a semi-truck rolled over on Highway 412, though no injuries were reported in that incident. He also said crews were dealing with widespread power line damage, noting that power company crews believed “there’s about 3 miles of power lines that were down. ”
Authorities also reported some structural damage in Cleo Springs and possible additional damage farther north. Despite the severe weather, Robinson said no other injuries had been reported in the county.
Officials warn of ongoing threats after the oklahoma tornado
The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, confirmed that a “dangerous” tornado moved through northern parts of the state and tracked toward the Kansas border. In the Fairview area, a local photographer captured dramatic footage of an enormous funnel cloud west of the city on Thursday night.
Robinson emphasized how quickly the situation escalated as storms arrived. “The storms came in fast and hard, ” he said, describing rapid efforts by first responders to check on residents and coordinate responses.
On Friday, the National Weather Service warned that severe thunderstorms and flash flooding were possible for portions of the Plains and the Midwest from Friday into Saturday. The agency warned of threats including hail potentially measuring 2 inches or more, strong winds up to 75 mph, and a few tornadoes.
Major population areas cited as at risk on Friday included Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Louis, Peoria, Des Moines, and Oklahoma City, with severe conditions potentially continuing Saturday from southeast Texas to Mississippi and the eastern Great Lakes.
Quick context and what’s next
Thursday night’s storms brought high winds that downed power lines and some trees in northern Oklahoma. As of Friday, the severe weather threat was not over, with continued risks into the weekend.
Moving into the next system, local agencies in northern Oklahoma are continuing damage checks and monitoring for additional storm impacts as warnings remain active. Officials are urging residents to stay weather-aware and follow guidance from local officials as the threat of more severe conditions persists after the oklahoma tornado.
Time-sensitive information current as of Friday, 6: 00 PM ET.
