January 1, Tornado Footage Reveals Widespread Damage at Vance Air Force Base

Wyatt’s Take

• Vance Air Force Base sustained extensive damage and is currently closed to all but essential staff.
• The storm hit with such force that a mass casualty incident was declared as homes and vehicles were swept away.
• Rescue efforts remain focused on the rural community near the base where buildings lost their roofs and power is out.

A massive tornado slammed into Enid, Oklahoma, leaving a path of destruction across homes and a critical military installation.

Search crews are currently working through the night to find anyone trapped in the wreckage.

Officials report catastrophic damage throughout the area after the powerful rotating column of air stayed on the ground.

Cars were tossed aside and neighborhoods are being searched door-to-door for survivors.

Vance Air Force Base issued a statement regarding the disaster and current base utility status.

The base is urging non-essential personnel to stay home while crews work to restore services.

Families impacted by the storm are being directed to local shelters for safety and assistance.

Miraculously, early reports indicate only minor injuries and no confirmed fatalities despite the massive scale of the storm.

Mid-air footage from a passing airliner captured the violence of the tornado from 30,000 feet up.

Our thoughts are with the airmen and the families in Enid as they begin the long process of cleaning up.

This is heartland country, and these folks will look out for each other like they always do.

Wyatt Matters

When disaster strikes the heartland, military families and rural neighbors rely on grit, faith, and community to rebuild.

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