This is a horrible story...watching the images on TV...looks bad....

The National Weather Service assigned the twister a preliminary ranking of EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, meaning the second most powerful category of tornado with winds up to 200 mph.

"It seems that our worst fears have happened today," said Bill Bunting, National Weather Service meteorologist in Norman, Oklahoma.

The massive twister struck at the height of tornado season, and more were forecast. On Sunday, tornadoes killed two people and injured 39 in Oklahoma.

Witnesses said Monday's tornado appeared more fierce than the giant twister that was among the dozens that tore up the region on May 3, 1999, killing more than 40 people and destroying thousands of homes. That tornado ranked as an EF5, meaning it had winds over 200 mph (320 kph).

There's a lot of horrible devastation everywhere in the area. It's been reported now that 37 people have died, but the list is likely to grow.

http://news.msn.com/us/to...direct-hit

Devastating tornado hits Oklahoma, at least 37 dead

A monstrous tornado as much as a mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school.

Developing: At least 37 deaths have been reported in the aftermath of the tornado that hit Moore, Okla., the Associated Press said Monday, and the death toll is expected to rise.

The 200 mph tornado flattened the suburbs in its path, directly hitting an elementary school. A preliminary report said 75 children had taken shelter at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., before search and rescue arrived on scene and began pulling students out.

Students were asked to hang onto walls as the tornado hit, and teachers were lying on top of the students to protect them, KFOR reported.

The Associated Press reported area hospitals treating nearly 60 injured, including more than a dozen kids.

two miles wide

Thoughts and prayers to all affected.

I saw this on TV just as the news broke. It was so recent that there were no numbers for injured/dead. As bad as it looks, I pray that no one lost their life. This is just so devestating. I can't imagine going through something like that.

The death toll as of recently is 51 and they are reporting that 20 of them are children.

Truly sad all around.

Sending my thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.

wow

XxAxX said:

two miles wide

Yet people deny global warming?????????

MOORE, Okla. — Emergency crews and volunteers continued to work through the early morning hours Tuesday in a frantic search for survivors of a huge tornado that ripped through parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs, killing at least 91 people, 20 of them children, and flattening whatever was in its path, including a hospital and at least two schools.

Much of the tornado damage appeared to be in the suburb of Moore, where rescue workers struggled to make their way through debris-clogged streets and around downed power lines to those who are feared trapped under mountains of rubble.

The risk of tornadoes throughout the region remained high Tuesday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman.

Amy Elliott, the spokeswoman for the Oklahoma City medical examiner, said at least 91 people had died, and officials said that toll was likely to climb. Hospitals reported at least 145 people injured, 70 of them children.


full story HERE

Please join me in praying for all those affected by these tornadoes.

PurpleJedi said:

MOORE, Okla. — Emergency crews and volunteers continued to work through the early morning hours Tuesday in a frantic search for survivors of a huge tornado that ripped through parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs, killing at least 91 people, 20 of them children, and flattening whatever was in its path, including a hospital and at least two schools.

That number is grossly inaccurate for now. It's very possible that it may reach that number being that they haven't even searched half of the destruction yet, but that's not the number authorities reported. As a matter of fact they updated the number of deaths to 24.

[Edited 5/21/13 7:58am]

OlSchool said:

PurpleJedi said:

MOORE, Okla. — Emergency crews and volunteers continued to work through the early morning hours Tuesday in a frantic search for survivors of a huge tornado that ripped through parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs, killing at least 91 people, 20 of them children, and flattening whatever was in its path, including a hospital and at least two schools.

That number is grossly inaccurate for now. It's very possible that it may reach that number being that they haven't even searched half of the destruction yet, but that's not the number authorities reported. As a matter of fact they updated the number of deaths to 24.

[Edited 5/21/13 7:58am]

The latest count - as reported by CNN - is 51 with an additional 40 expected so far....

-- Out of the 51 deaths initially reported in Monday's powerful tornado in central Oklahoma, 24 bodies have been transferred to the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner's Office, the agency said Tuesday. An update from the medical examiner was expected at 11 a.m. ET.

-- The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office has been told to expect about 40 additional bodies, including about 20 children, according spokeswoman Amy Elliott. The official death toll of 51 will not rise until the bodies are processed, she said earlier. The current toll already includes at least 20 children who were killed by the storm.

Looks like the West Bank. Too bad our media can't be this caring in all disasters. Imagine cameras going to our inner cities everytime there are shootings.

XxAxX said:

two miles wide

OH WOW. That's insane. Being from the UK we don't deal with natural disasters like this, like any at all, poor OKC, let's hope those casualty numbers don't rise

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder has donated $1million/US to the Red Cross to help with relief aid.

Hope many other follow suit.

Its been reported this tornado was a cat 5; the tornado that hit this city in 1999 was a cat 5. The tornado's path too a similar path as the one in 1999. wow (SMH)

the destruction is unimaginable. i hope the government give these people all the support they need

RodeoSchro said:

Please join me in praying for all those affected by these tornadoes.