EF-4 Tornado Hits Oklahoma, First Violent Twister Since 2016; Deadly Outbreak Continues Across US

National Weather Service teams from Norman, Oklahoma have confirmed that damages found in Marietta are consistent with an EF-4 tornado, marking the first violent-rated twister to hit the state since May 9, 2016. The deadly storm, which occurred on April 27, had winds between 165 and 170 mph along its path of destruction that lasted for approximately 25 minutes before lifting near Dickson. This tornado was rated EF-4 after a survey by the National Weather Service found evidence to support such a classification, which places it in Oklahoma’s worst category of weather phenomena since May 9, 2016 when another violent twister struck Katie, killing one person before dissipating near Interstate 35. The April 27 tornado is the first EF-4 to hit any part of the United States since March 31, 2023, which saw a deadly outbreak that killed thirty-one people across six states and produced at least fifty tornadoes between April 25th and May 6th. At least five fatalities have been reported in this recent storm system, affecting two different states as it brought about more than fifty confirmed twisters since the end of last week’s severe weather outbreak. Video footage captured by residents shows catastrophic damage left behind after the tornado passed through Marietta on Saturday evening.