CHICAGO - At least four people were killed and many others injured after a string of tornadoes and thunderstorms Tuesday hit central Oklahoma, authorities said.

The storms, which eventually rolled through Calumet and Edmond, north of Oklahoma City, killed four and caused numerous injuries, said an official of Canadian County Emergency Management Director.

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The County Sheriff said that a large tornado near El Reno, a city in Canadian County, destroyed residences and caused a gas leak at an energy plant west of Oklahoma City.

Sirens were raised about 20 minutes before the storms pushed through. The National Weather Service warned residents and I-44 highway drivers to take precautionary action, saying "this is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation."

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said residents should take tornado warnings and reports "very seriously."

Another tornado was seen at Chickasha, about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It later reached Newcastle, closing in on Moore and Norman, suburbs of Oklahoma City.

The Storm Prediction Center said the high-risk area for severe storms includes southern Kansas, most of Oklahoma and southward into Texas.

The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday killed at least 122 people, making it the deadliest single tornado in the United States since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.