Storms rip through Oklahoma as even more intense weather is possible Friday across the central US

Severe storms are sweeping across the central U.S., and forecasters warn tornadoes could turn dangerous across several states

Thunderstorms ripped across Oklahoma prairies Thursday night as severe weather was expected to intensify Friday and bring the threat of powerful tornadoes to multiple states in the nation's heartland.

In an eerie scene captured on video, a first responder drove straight at a storm near the western Oklahoma town of Fairview, where flashes of lightning illuminated a giant funnel that appeared to reach the ground. That storm late Thursday, among the first outbreaks of severe weather on the verge of the spring storm season, was filmed by a camera mounted on the deputy's car.

Nearby, a 47-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter from Fairview were found dead in a vehicle near an intersection of a highway and a county road at about 10 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. The crash “appears to be tornado related," Sarah Stewart, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, said in a statement.

“Severe weather struck Major County last night and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and daughter," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement Friday. "I am praying for the family as they grieve this tragic loss, as well as all those impacted by the storms."

The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, planned to send out a damage survey crew Friday to see whether Thursday night’s storms were confirmed tornadoes, meteorologist Ryan Bunker said. “As of right now, we’re still investigating that.”