Tornadoes touch down as storms strike central U.S.
NORMAN, Okla. -- Another round of powerful storms moved across the nation's midsection Saturday, bringing with it tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and damaging winds.
The National Weather Service told CBS News at least six confirmed tornadoes touched down Saturday in several western Oklahoma communities, including two in Geronimo.
Forecaster Daryl Williams said twisters struck near the towns of Elmer and Tipton, Oklahoma. Another touched down briefly near Elk City along Interstate 40.
At least one tornado hit Wyoming's Park County, the weather service said. Storms were also moving across parts of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota, where there were additional, unconfirmed tornado reports.
According to CBS affiliate KWTV in Oklahoma City, the storms left behind damaged buildings, uprooted trees, power outages and baseball-sized hail.
"Right now we haven't had any reports of injuries or fatalities, and we hope it will stay that way," Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain told the Associated Press.
Williams said the tornadoes in southwestern Oklahoma were very strong, but were in largely isolated areas. A police dispatcher in Tipton said there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Emergency Management Director Lloyd Colston in Altus said there were damaged structures in the area, but had no reports of injury.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that U.S. Highway 283 at Elmer was closed because of a downed power line and the town was without power.
Jared Guyer, a forecaster with the weather service's Storm Prediction Center, said the threat of tornadoes was expected to diminish late Saturday, but the storms with rain and hail could continue into Sunday.
Last weekend's weather caused several tornadoes, flooding and at least four deaths.