Large Tornado Slams Small Oklahoma Town

At least five homes and a barn owned by the county government were destroyed and other structures were damaged Monday by a large tornado in the western Oklahoma town of Hammon.

No injuries were reported with the storm, Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten said. Besides the five homes that were destroyed, the roofs of several other houses were blown off, and power lines were down throughout the area, Ooten said.

"It really skirted the southeast corner and missed the population center," Roger Mills County Sheriff Joe Hay said. "We had lots of warning. Our local storm spotters and the Hammon fire department were on top of the tornado before it got started."

The barn - a large metal building - housed some vehicles and other equipment that belonged to Roger Mills County, officials said.

CBS News affiliate NEWS 9's storm tracker Val Castor reported a tornado on the ground about 9 miles north of Elk City around 5:17 p.m., about 110 miles west of Oklahoma City. According to Castor, the tornado was on the ground for about 20 minutes, traveling across open countryside before reaching Hammon, about 15 miles to the north.

Allene Bottom, who lives on a farm near Hammon, watched the storm as it approached.

"It's a mess," Bottom said by telephone. "They have people up there stopping people from going in to town."

The tornado was part of a large weather system tracking through the Plains.

John Pike, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service's Norman office, said an average of four tornadoes are reported in March in Oklahoma, but Monday's tornado was larger than what is typically seen this time of year.

"We are starting to get near spring, and get a clashing of the air masses along with more moisture from the south. That's what is really the fuel for the storms."

There was no immediate confirmation of additional tornadoes.