Large tornado plowing through Moore OK, southern OKC right now

Originally posted by Rocker2013

Originally posted by Starwise
Cry worthy is right! Happy tears!
It is moments like that on video when you realize what is important. Our animals are our family.

That video is pretty amazing. I was a little worried about watching it when first posted because it wasn't clear if it was a good or bad ending

Shared

That's why I included the video description!

reply to post by EdSurly



I guess the reports from skynews and other outlets have already been posted as I have not read through the replies but this does sound like it was a very a bad one. 91 dead was the last count and many of those were children at school!

I did find it strange that children were a school on this day when the Weather forecasters were telling you that there were big Tornados heading there....

I also know Tornados travel very fast but surely the parents must have thought to get their children out of school early.

The ME is having a press conference right now. She has confirmed 24 deaths saying they previously reported 51 deaths which were accidental double reported deaths. Understandable, considering the phone lines are in such bad shape.

Also, she stated that the number could rise considerably as the search and rescue efforts are continued.

9 deaths were of children and 7 of those children were recovered from the elementary school.

This is much better news than the previously reported death toll of 91.

kfor.com...

reply to post by EdSurly


the area medical facility was eviscerated...

luckily, all staff & patients were evacuated before shtf

I am wondering, as horrible as this may sound, but are they looking far enough away for fatalities? I thought i heard that debris was spread up to 90 miles from the storm.

TWC Breaking ‏@TWCBreaking 4m New severe t'storm watch until 7pm CDT for central & southern OK, part of NW TX near Wichita Falls. Unfortunately includes #Moore & OKC.

Let's hope they don't have anything else to deal with right now!

I understand it's not feasible that the mid-west and Oklahoma in particular can build basements, due to the soil consistency, and bedrock.. etc. But why are there no evac shelters especially at schools? Essentially large blast shelters that they can evacuate to in the case of sudden emergency.

I mean, I don't get it, that school and the hospital were completely wiped out.

Originally posted by whatnext21
I am wondering, as horrible as this may sound, but are they looking far enough away for fatalities? I thought i heard that debris was spread up to 90 miles from the storm.

As with any search, rescue and recovery operation, crews start in the area with the greatest concentration of victims and move outward in a methodical, grid-like manner. It is the most efficient way of doing things.

I'm just wondering how you go from 91 CONFIRMED dead to 24 CONFIRMED dead. Of course it's great to go from 91 victims to 24 victims. But 'confirmed' means bodies were identified in a morgue. I know there was a lot of confusion and chaos, but once again it's the media at work to sensationalize to garner ratings. The higher the death toll, the faster the windspeed, the deeper the forecasted snow, etc. the better for viewership and advertising $. What happened to the good old days when the media used to vette and validate news stories?

Originally posted by guymontag
I understand it's not feasible that the mid-west and Oklahoma in particular can build basements, due to the soil consistency, and bedrock.. etc. But why are there no evac shelters especially at schools? Essentially large blast shelters that they can evacuate to in the case of sudden emergency.

I mean, I don't get it, that school and the hospital were completely wiped out.

Because our government would rather give $800 million to Syria and Egypt $250 million worth of F-15's rather than spend that money here at home to sure up our infrastructure like storm shelters for schools in tornado alley and unsafe commuter roads and bridges.

reply to post by jessieg


Growing up here in OK and in Tornado Alley, I was always told that if you cannot find adequate shelter or are driving down the road, get out of the car and throw yourself face-down into the ditch on the side of the road and if you have something around to put over yourself, do so.

In our home, we have an interior linen closet which is where we plan to go if need be - and we have got helmets for all 3 of our children. And don't laugh, a helmet can save a life and/or prevent a brain injury. This is especially important for kids. A bike helmet, an old football helmet, a motorcycle helmet, any type of protective helmet or gear you may have!

After seeing this, along with almost losing my son last year to a brain injury, Mr. Dustbowl and I have agreed that if our county falls under a tornado warning while our kids are at school, we will both leave work and pick up the kids (they are spread across 2 different schools) and meet back at my place of employment. Our company offices in an older bank building. The basement is a fall-out shelter, so it's the safest place I can think of to put my family.

Just my thought on it.

Although, expanding upon your idea of digging a hole, have you ever seen the modular storm shelters? I don't know a whole lot about them, but from what I understand, they dig a hole in the dirt and then drop it in and bury it back up with the exit exposed.

reply to post by Starwise


And as usual things like these videos always make you want to question them, why doesn't the reporter help her? that video just seemed staged.

For all the innocent people whom were lost, surprising an cute little dog survives a storm of a massive destruction all safe under a ruin under her supposedly house?

What amazes me that tornados are nothing new in the US. Why dont they change the construction code to build concrete buildings. At the least they will not be a total destruction unlike wooden homes? Just a thought.

Originally posted by jessieg
If you were very poor and could not afford a tornado shelter, what would you do?

Live somewhere else, obviously. North Dakota is full of jobs and it's cheap to live there.No one who can't afford to build a proper tornado shelter has any excuse for clinging to Tornado Alley.

It is said that this tornado was so bad you really needed to be underground.

I have heard 'most destructive on record'. Truly sad, but I don't pity anyone who has dodged 3 bullets in the last 10 years (like my aunt, who lives north of OKC). When you almost die, nature's telling you something. Listen or don't but it's your responsibility.

reply to post by shauny


I have been asking this very same question. I'm still sad for the adults who were also killed, as well. But...kids? They haven't even gotten to live their lives and they are innocents in this filthy world.

Last nite, I just laid on the sofa and cried and prayed for the parents and the kids. A few months back, when my son acquired his brain injury, we spent several weeks in the ICU at Children's Hospital in OKC (where many of these injured children are being taken). Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is that ICU unit and hear kids/babies/teens screaming and crying. Then I open my eyes and pray for strength for those parents and then strength for the injured children. They are all gonna need all the prayers we can offer up!

reply to post by seamus


Yeah...I think any and all structures in tornado alley should be underground.

Maybe it should be in their building code.

No matter how you look at it, its tempting fate.

reply to post by seamus

Live somewhere else, obviously. North Dakota is full of jobs and it's cheap to live there.No one who can't afford to build a proper tornado shelter has any excuse for clinging to Tornado Alley.

If someone is poor, chances are they do not have the money to relocate. Simple logic.

Its funny, after these type of events, we inevitably hear the same nonsense: This time it is "they should move away from tornado zones", after katrina it was: "They shouldnt live in a city under sea level", in '89 it was: "They should move away from the san andreas faultline." Utter nonsense. There is a chance for natural disasters anywhere in the world, moving away from one place doesnt change that.

I have heard 'most destructive on record'. Truly sad, but I don't pity anyone who has dodged 3 bullets in the last 10 years (like my aunt, who lives north of OKC). When you almost die, nature's telling you something. Listen or don't but it's your responsibility.

Ugh, what happened to people? Seriously? The mentality of the average person is so selfish and sideways now that I truly cannot see hope for things getting any better on this planet....

Originally posted by UnBreakable
I'm just wondering how you go from 91 CONFIRMED dead to 24 CONFIRMED dead. Of course it's great to go from 91 victims to 24 victims. But 'confirmed' means bodies were identified in a morgue.

Technically, confirmed when reported to the press means that, but when it comes from the press to the public it's much looser. If a state authority says there are a confirmed number of dead, then you can usually believe it. I was watching Kfor last night and they were saying on-air that the authorities were counting when individuals remains actually arrived at the morgue - but Kfor even ignored this themselves and said in the same sentence something along the lines of "even though it's not official we can probably confirm that this means there are actually..." and they did this because one of their reporters witnessed three bodies recovered. They did the same with a "report" of 7 children found dead in the school too.

You're right, this is the fault of the reporters and talking heads who want to be the first to report. They don't seem to care much about getting it RIGHT, they just want to be the first and to hold viewers.

Kfor has been good at following this, but even they keep messing up on facts and statements of truth versus opinion. They're not as bad as almost every other American news source I have ever seen, but they are still not doing it right

Originally posted by hp1229
What amazes me that tornados are nothing new in the US. Why dont they change the construction code to build concrete buildings. At the least they will not be a total destruction unlike wooden homes? Just a thought.

A concrete building would not have stopped an EF4 tornado. Not a chance. I direct hit is a direct hit, and it doesnt matter what the building was made of.

According to Jim Cantore, there's a large rain area with embedded severe thunderstorms and dangerous lightning heading to Moore and Shawnee OK.

Here's his twitter: twitter.com...

Moore again?