countless lives. nbc's jay gray has our report from the hard-hit town of woodward, oklahoma. >> coming right across the highway here. >> reporter: more than 100 tornadoes sliced through the central and southern plains. at one time, two funnels dropping from the clouds in oklahoma. the violent system blasted through nebraska, iowa and kansas, tearing away anything in its path. >> everything is gone. everything we've worked for all of our lives. >> reporter: the intensity of the storms was evident when it moved into oklahoma, tossing an suv. >> call it like it is. this is now becoming a killer tornado. >> reporter: as the afternoon gave way tonight, the assault continued. tough to see in the dark, sometimes the tornado revealed by a flash of lightning. the damage left behind is clear and overwhelming in the light of day. >> just a devastating, frustrating thing. oh, my. i'm almost at no words over it.