Texas and Oklahoma tornadoes: Several injured and homes destroyed in winter storms

At least five people have been injured and several homes destroyed in Texas and Oklahoma after severe thunderstorms swept through the states.

The severe weather spawned at least one tornado on Tuesday morning. Several tornado warnings were also issued in the wake of the winter storms.

“A confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located near Decatur,” about 50 miles northwest of Dallas, according to the National Weather Service.

A tornado watch, which includes Fort Worth and Dallas, was in effect until 11am local time on Tuesday.

“A couple tornadoes are possible,” the watch statement read, “along with sporadic damaging gusts and isolated large hail.”

On Tuesday evening, a tornado watch was issued for the remainder of East Texas, southern Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana until 10pm CST.

A second watch includes Shreveport in the northwestern corner of Louisiana.

An area stretching from Montana into western Nebraska and Colorado was under blizzard warnings and the National Weather Service said as much as two feet of snow was possible in some areas of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska.

More than 10,000 flights have been delayed or cancelled nationwide since Monday, reported CBS, citing flight tracking service FlightAware.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana reported on Tuesday night that one woman was hospitalised with unknown injuries and two people were missing after a tornado tore through the area.

The tornado downed trees and power lines and caused damage to “several structures”, the sheriff’s office said.

Local firefighters and deputies were “searching through debris and the area for the missing people”.

Forecasters said the storm system was expected to hobble the upper Midwest with ice, rain and snow for days, as well as move into the northeast and central Appalachians with snow and freezing rain by late Wednesday.

“East Texas through Louisiana into Mississippi” were “risk areas” for thunderstorms Tuesday night, Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes said.

On Wednesday, New Orleans, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama, could be at risk of thunderstorms, as could Pensacola, Florida, along with the Texas Panhandle.

In the Fort Worth suburbs, about 20 local homes and businesses were damaged, according to the North Richland Hills police department.

In nearby Grapevine, police spokesperson Amanda McNew reported five confirmed injuries.

“The main thing is that we’ve got everyone in a safe place,” McNew said just after noon. “We’re starting the process of going through the city looking at damage to property, to businesses, homes and then roads.”