janet42
05-21-2013, 06:49 AM
At least 51 people were killed in yesterday's tornado. More may be found today. A grade school was wiped out killing around 20 kids. I couldn't believe nobody hasn't post about this yhttp://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/us/oklahoma-tornado-developmentset. It is all over the news and facebook.
Penny Lane
05-21-2013, 01:34 PM
I have been watching the news. The devastation is unthinkable! Those poor people!:(
Family Ties Forever!
05-21-2013, 03:46 PM
That's awful.
link (http://www.click2houston.com/news/medical-examiner-24-dead-in-oklahoma-twister/-/1735978/20235660/-/14swgni/-/index.html)
Medical Examiner: 24 Dead In Oklahoma Twister
Updated Death Toll
Posted: May 21 2013 9:50 AM CDT Updated: May 21 2013 12:43 PM CDT
Tornado survivor "I lost everything, but I'm still alive" Emergency crews combed the sticks and rubble remains of an Oklahoma City suburb Tuesday morning less than a day after a massive tornado slammed through the community, flattening homes and demolishing an elementary school. At least 24 people were killed, including at least seven children, and those numbers were expected to climb. As the sun rose over the shattered community of Moore, the state medical examiner's office cut the estimated death toll by more than half.
Spokeswoman Amy Elliot said she believes some victims were counted twice in the early chaos of the storm that struck Monday afternoon. Downed communication lines and problems sharing information with officers exacerbated the problem, she said. "It was a very eventful night," Elliot said. "I truly expect that they'll find more today." Authorities initially said as many as 51 people were dead, including 20 children. New search-and-rescue teams moved in as dawn broke Tuesday, taking over from the 200 or so emergency responders who scoured the neighborhood all night with a helicopter shining a spotlight from above to aid their search.
Fire Chief Gary Bird said the fresh teams would search the whole community at least two more times to ensure that no survivors -- or victims -- were missed. They were painting an `X' on each structure to note it had been checked. "That is to confirm we have done our due diligence for this city, for our citizens," Bird said. By early Tuesday, the community of 41,000 people, 10 miles south of Oklahoma City, braced for another long, harrowing day.
"As long as we are here ... we are going to hold out hope that we will find survivors," said Trooper Betsy Randolph, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. More than 120 people were being treated at hospitals, including about 50 children. Search and rescue teams continued their desperate efforts at Plaza Towers Elementary, where the storm ripped off the school's roof, knocked down walls and turned the playground into a mass of twisted plastic and metal as students and teachers huddled in hallways and bathrooms.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said she watched up close late Monday as rescuers tried to find people in the wreckage of the school. "It was massive destruction last night," Fallin said in an AP interview Tuesday. "It was an incredible sight to see how big the debris field was and how much destruction there was. It would be remarkable for anyone to survive."
Children from the school were among the dead, but several students were pulled out alive from under a collapsed wall and other heaps of mangled debris. Rescue workers passed the survivors down a human chain of parents and neighborhood volunteers. Parents carried children in their arms to a triage center in the parking lot. Some students looked dazed, others terrified.
Officials were still trying to account for a handful of children not found at the school who may have gone home early with their parents, Bird said Tuesday.
President Barack Obama declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. The National Weather Service issued an initial finding that the tornado was an EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale, the second most powerful type of twister. It estimated that the twister was at least half a mile wide
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
What a devastating storm and thinking about all those frightened children in the school when the storm hit is just so heartbreaking. My prayers go out to all those people.
janet42
05-21-2013, 07:26 PM
Here is an update. 24 people were killed in this tornado instead of 51.
Here is an update. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/us/oklahoma-tornado-developments/index.html
Schmoopie
05-22-2013, 12:09 AM
This is such terrible news. What a tragedy. Tornadoes are just horrible things that sadly can't be controlled.
Janice
05-22-2013, 01:09 AM
It's heartbreaking. Those poor people and their families. God bless them all.
Tubehead
05-22-2013, 02:13 AM
i was in torndao few e years ago in riinggold ga or chattanoga. tn i live inringgold ga we live on teenns state line like it didn't get our house we had one tree it feel but it didn't feel onthe house it went the other way we were lucy god was watching over us