Oh, Oklahoma! Open Thread…
Posted: May 20, 2013 Filed under: just because | Tags: OKC, Tornado 25 Comments
A child was pulled from the rubble of the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., on Monday.
Good Evening
Tonight there is devastation in Oklahoma.
A view of the tornado damage today in Moore, Okla., from KFOR Channel 4 in Oklahoma City. (KFOR Channel 4 photo)
Earlier today, my friend who lives out in OKC sent me a text…it was around 3:45pm est…it said,
Sirens going off. In the shelter.
I did not hear from her until just before 6pm est, she and her daughter and parents were fine. She said the family’s homes were damaged, and she did not know to what extent yet…and the family members who have checked in have been ok…so far. That “so far” is how she ended her text message. Chilling words….
Huge Tornado Cuts Ruinous Path for Miles in Oklahoma – NYTimes.com
A huge tornado, perhaps a mile wide, tore through towns near Oklahoma City on Monday, flattening homes and businesses, starting fires and sending residents scrambling to find friends and neighbors possibly buried in rubble.
As reports of injuries began coming in, the authorities said some people were trapped and rescue workers were still making their way to the severely damaged suburb of Moore.
Sgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department said that at least one school in Moore suffered “severe damage,” but he had no information about possible injuries. “Numerous neighborhoods completely leveled,” he said by telephone. “Neighborhoods just wiped clean.”
Sergeant Knight said debris and damage to roadways along with heavy traffic were hindering emergency responders racing to the affected areas.
A spokeswoman in the mayor’s office in Moore said that there was no information on casualties, and that emergency workers were struggling to assess the damage.
“Please send us your prayers,” she said.
Monster Oklahoma tornado kills 37
A massive, mile-wide tornado with winds up to 200 mph spent 40 minutes on the ground as it devastated homes, schools and businesses across southern Oklahoma City and its suburbs Monday afternoon.
The state medical examiner confirmed at least 37 deaths and said the toll was expected to rise.
Catastrophic damage was reported in Moore, where two elementary schools were destroyed, including one that took a direct hit. Several children were pulled alive from the rubble of Plaza Towers Elementary, but there were no immediate reports of rescues or casualties at Briarwood Elementary.
Three hospitals reported treating at least 120 injured, including some children pulled from the Plaza Towers school.
More than 60 patients were treated for tornado injuries at Norman Regional Medical Center.
I have not heard from my friend since, I will let you all know more when I do…
Below are some links to articles with more information:
At least 37 dead after massive Okla. tornado – CBS News
Video at that link.
Two-mile-wide tornado slams Oklahoma City area, killing at least 10 – CNN.com
Live Video Coverage from KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City – NYTimes.com
Deadly tornado roars through Oklahoma, two schools take direct hit (live updates) | al.com
This is an open thread.
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
I will update the thread with more news about the tornado as it becomes available.
NY Times is reporting 91 dead: Vast Oklahoma Tornado Kills at Least 91 – NYTimes.com
According to CNN: Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office told to expect about 40 more bodies. As of now, official death toll remains at 51.
Local news 4KFOR is reporting 91 dead.
The number has been revised to 24 dead.
That photo, the houses are gone, there is nothing there.
From one of the local OKC news 4WARN facebook pages:
CORRECTION: Emergency officials told Lance West it is no longer a search & rescue mission at the Moore elementary, it is now just recovery.
Possibly 24 children still inside.
posted an hour ago
https://www.facebook.com/4WarnStormTeam/posts/556199151097700 – link to that info about school…
My friend just sent me message says state medical advisor has confirmed at least 51 fatalities.
Thank you JJ…………..have been trying to reach family in Oklahoma City……….lines down, too much traffic, and wishing for the best for all who are impacted by the worst tornado ever.
I hope they are okay Fannie, looks like most of the damage is in that area of Moore… hope you hear from them soon.
Bruce and family are doing ok, he’s about 30 miles away from Moore, and they need all the help they can get. He compares it to Federal Building Bombing…………….worst he’s seen.
This is terrible. I just heard about it.
I know.
I just heard on Fox news they said still looking for survivors at schools, but from local news:
(1) LIVE UPDATES: Crews switch to recovery at Plaza Towers elementary | KFOR.com
Efforts switch to recovery at Moore, Okla. elementary school | KFOR.com
More than one elementary school got hit. That may be part of the confusion.
At least 20 children died in one of them.
At least 51 killed, including 20 children, as tornado tears through Oklahoma, leaving miles of debris – U.S. News
It is horrible.
I think there are still over twenty kids missing at one of the schools…
How to help Okla. tornado victims, shelter info | KFOR.com
Lessons from a Tornado Tragedy (best apps for keeping you safe during life-threatening weather) | StarTribune.com
Look at these radar images, and check this out:
Just going to put this here, and then I am going to bed. Night y’all.
Judge Ruled In 2010 Gov’t Did Not Need To Notify Fox Reporter James Rosen Of Searches | Mediaite
While both Rosen and the Justice Department did not comment to POLITICO regarding when Rosen became aware of the federal investigation into his contact with a State Department source. “Rosen would have known of the investigation by August 27, 2010 at the latest,” Gerstein writes.
Lamberth’s ruling became public knowledge in November, 2010, but the fact that the DOJ had investigated Rosen’s personal email was first reported in the Washington Post on Monday.
Rosen may be a bit of a dumbass.
Geez, they are still looking for the dead bodies of children and here is this asshole: Tom Coburn Wants Tornado Disaster Aid to Be Offset | The World’s Greatest Deliberative Body
Must not have hit that miserable asshole’s personal property, He needs a good horse whipping to adjust his attitude toward his fellow beings.
Lots of photos and some videos at this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328096/Oklahoma-tornado-2013-Moore-family-die-including-baby.html