April 20 (UPI) -- Three people were killed Wednesday night by a large tornado that hit Cole, Okla., amid severe weather that caused extensive damage in the Central United States.
The McClain County Sheriff's Office confirmed the third death on Thursday morning but did not provide further details about the victim. One of the victims was identified by family members as Mike Bradsher and the other was an adult woman who was not publicly named.
The Red Cross has opened shelters for tornado victims in the cities of Noble, Shawnee and Washington.
"Last night, severe weather devastated parts of Shawnee & Cole and three of our fellow Oklahomans lost their lives. As we come together in prayer for all those affected, we're working diligently to assess the damage and restore our communities," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stit said in a Facebook post.
The tornado was confirmed to have hit the town of Cole, located just south of Oklahoma City, at 7:39 p.m. CDT Wednesday. It damaged a wedding venue and numerous homes.
McClain County Emergency Management described the storm as a "large and extremely dangerous tornado."
Minutes before it was in the town, emergency officials online warned Cole residents to take cover.
Oklahoma State Senator Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, visited Cole in the tornado's aftermath.
"The scope of the devastation was shocking," Garvin said. "I'd ask for all Oklahomans to please pray for those impacted throughout the state, especially for the families of those who were killed, those injured in the storm and those who have been displaced."
The McClain County Sheriff's Office announced said an unknown number of people were injured.
"Crews are responding to reported injuries & persons entrapped within their shelters," it said. "We are conducting grid searches in an approximate 10-mile path," the sheriff's office said.
Personnel were also on the scene to restore power.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Eric Foster told reporters in a late Wednesday press conference that he has seen "significant damage" to structures.
"The town of Cole was hit significantly, and there's a lot of infrastructure damage," he said. "There were some power lines -- significant power lines -- that were down in that area, blocking state highways as well."
Cole was hit as storms brought hail and strong winds to the Central United States, with the National Weather Service late Wednesday issuing tornado watches for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
In Shawnee, located about 60 miles northeast of Cole, a tornado was confirmed by the NWS Norman office to have touched down shortly after 10 p.m.
"Due to the erratic motion of the storm, do not anticipate the tornado motion," it said, urging residents to "take shelter immediately!"
It was unclear if there were any casualties.
"Fellow Shawnee residents, our community was hit hard by this evening's storms," the local police department said in a statement. "Please know that search and rescue efforts are underway.
"If you can, check on your neighbors, but be mindful of potential gas leaks and possibly downed power lines."
Dell Kerbs, a Republican member of the state House representing Shawnee, urged residents to seek assistance.
"The destruction suffered in Shawnee and the surrounding community on Wednesday was devastating," Kerbs said. "Local and state resources are available for those affected by Wednesday's severe weather, and I hope everybody finds the support they need."
Oklahoma Baptist University said that its campus had suffered damage from the tornadoes and that the administration was assessing the situation.
According to poweroutage.us, over 13,000 customers in Pottawatomie County were still without electricity as of Thursday afternoon. Over 1,000 still had power outages in neighboring Lincoln County.
