Severe storms and tornadoes ravage New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma

Severe storms and tornadoes ravage New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2024.

A powerful autumn storm unleashed violent weather across portions of New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma yesterday, bringing with it destructive tornadoes, flash floods, and fierce winds. Today, the threat remains, with forecasts warning of additional severe weather and heightened flash flooding risks.

In Oklahoma, multiple tornadoes touched down, wreaking havoc in southeast Oklahoma City and surrounding suburbs, including Valley Brook, Del City, and Harrah. Valley Brook suffered the worst of the devastation, with numerous homes destroyed and several people injured. In Oklahoma City, police reported six injuries requiring hospitalization due to the tornado.

Across Oklahoma City and Del City, the storms toppled power lines and uprooted large trees, leaving at least 35,000 residents without power as of 3 a.m. Sunday.

New Mexico also faced impacts from this storm system, as massive hailstones measuring up to 3 inches in diameter—roughly the size of a large apple—pelted areas near the town of Eunice. Extreme winds accompanied the storms, with a gust reaching 92 mph recorded in Halfway, Lea County. The same storm cluster produced a rare and powerful tornado in Lea County, New Mexico.

The storms are expected to continue on Sunday, with WeatherRadar indicating widespread showers and thunderstorms sweeping across the Central U.S. The risk of flash flooding and severe weather remains elevated, especially across the Plains and the Mississippi Valley. The greatest flood threat is forecasted for areas stretching from north-central Texas through Oklahoma, northeastern Arkansas, and southern Missouri.

Make sure to have your Weather Alerts activated to stay informed of any dangerous conditions as the storm system advances.