Massive tornado rips through Oklahoma!

[IM_YOUR_GOD]

Massive tornado rips through Moore, Oklahoma: 51 killed, including 20 children; more feared dead

 

 

 

A woman carries a child through a tornado-ravaged neighborhood in

 

Moore, Okla., May 20, 2013. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

A devastating, mile-wide tornado touched down near Oklahoma City on Monday, killing at least 51 people—including 20 children—decimating homes, businesses and a pair of elementary schools in the suburb of Moore.

 

According to the state's medical examiner, the death toll was expected to rise. About 40 bodies were expected to be transported to the medical examiner's office overnight.

 

The schools—Plaza Towers Elementary and Briarwood Elementary—were leveled by the tornado. It was unclear how many children were in them at the time the twister hit, but according to KFOR-TV, at least seven children died at Plaza Towers, and as many as two dozen more were feared to be trapped inside the rubble. An Associated Press photographer saw rescue workers pull several children out alive. A makeshift triage center was set up in the school's parking lot.

 

[Related: Flickr photos from the scene]

"This is war-zone terrible," Jon Welsh, a helicopter pilot for KFOR who lives in Moore, said while surveying the damage from the air. "This school is completely gone."

 

Emergency officials urged people to remain off the roads so rescue workers and first responders could reach people potentially trapped in rubble, as the National Guard was called in to help in the search for victims.

 

Three people were killed at a 7-Eleven in the path of the storm, CBS' KWTV reported, including a man, woman and baby who took cover in a freezer but didn't survive. KFOR reported a fourth person was killed there.

 

A child is pulled from the rubble at Tower Plaza Elementary in Moore, May 20, 2013. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

 

 

"Our hearts are broken," Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said at a news conference Monday evening.

The tornado left a debris field 20 miles long and several miles wide. According to the National Weather Service in Norman, Okla., the tornado was on the ground for approximately 40 minutes, and a tornado warning was in effect for 16 minutes before the twister developed.

Weather officials estimated the strength of the storm to be an F4 or F5 on the Fujita Scale—the highest rating a tornado can achieve. The National Weather Service said the tornado's preliminary classification was an F4, with winds up to 200 mph.

 

On May 3, 1999, a tornado outbreak near Oklahoma City produced 14 tornadoes—including an F5 in Moore—killing 36 people and injuring 295 others. A host on KFOR called Monday's storm "the worst tornado damage-wise in the history of the world."

The devastated area was an estimated 30 square miles.

"The whole city looks like a debris field," Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis said on NBC's "Nightly News." "Our hospital is pretty much destroyed."

Communication was snarled as landlines and cellphone towers were knocked down. A water treatment plant in Oklahoma City was also damaged.

President Barack Obama directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare to get "all available assistance" to the disaster-hit area. Late Monday, the president declared Oklahoma a major disaster area, making federal aid available to people in Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma and Pottawatomie counties.

 

Families of potential victims were directed by the Red Cross to a website—safeandwell.org—for information about survivors.

The 106-acre Orr Family Farm, a popular attraction in town, was extremely damaged, its owner said. KFOR reported between 75 and 100 horses perished there as workers took shelter in horse stalls.

Another, smaller tornado was spotted on the ground west of Meeker, Okla., north of Shawnee, on Monday.

 

The Oklahoma House of Representatives canceled its afternoon sessions so lawmakers and staffers could take shelter, the AP said.

The tornadoes came a day after powerful storms ripped through the center of the country, spawning at least a dozen tornadoes, killing two people and causing extensive damage from Georgia to Minnesota.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/tornado-oklahoma-city-moore-205548879.html

Edited May 21, 2013 by IM_YOUR_GOD

[Polish_Trucker]

Very sad indeed, but it does make me wonder, why do these people build & live in houses there when it's called "Torando Alley"

Edited May 21, 2013 by Polish_Trucker

[Algonquin Assassin]

It's been all over the news here. I think the death toll is closer to 100 now. Condolences to the victims.

 

It take tremendous courage to live in "Tornado Alley".

[Raavi]

And still they don't restructure the buildings to make 'em tornado proof and prevent this.

[H. León]

I'm really sorry for this people, but I'm kinda happy (not really happy, more like relieved) because this wasn't another terrorist attack or some psycho in a killing spree.

Hoping for them to get better as soon as possible.

[Finn 7 five 11]

And still they don't restructure the buildings to make 'em tornado proof and prevent this.

Living in a Tornado zone is pretty silly, but sometimes it can't be avoided, but not rebuilding with Tornado proofing is just retarded.

[LittleBlueTroll]

Terrible news to hear. So much tragedy in the world lately, there seems to be a new one every week.

[Sneakerhead.]

Damn, so much tragedy recently, hope the people effected by the tornado get well soon.

 

Death isn't a easy thing to get over.

[rudy]

 

And still they don't restructure the buildings to make 'em tornado proof and prevent this.

If I'm not wrong, tornado proofing is mostly about making the structure as solid as possible, with as few weak points and corners that are prone to failure. A round structure with a solidly bonded roof of appropriate material will be quite tornado proof, though YOU have to make it able to survive the debris in the tornado, as straw has been shown as capable of penetrating steel sheet in a tornado, and wooden beams are capable of penetrating walls.

 

They're not a vitable option, they're super expensive and people living in such regions aren't up for it either.

Edited May 21, 2013 by rudy.

[ExtremoMania]

Heard it from the news just this night. Condolences to all the victims who suffered such tragedy.

 

Again this could be the worse thing to happen since the 1999 outbreak.

[Spider-Vice]

And still they don't restructure the buildings to make 'em tornado proof and prevent this.

If I'm not wrong, tornado proofing is mostly about making the structure as solid as possible, with as few weak points and corners that are prone to failure. A round structure with a solidly bonded roof of appropriate material will be quite tornado proof, though YOU have to make it able to survive the debris in the tornado, as straw has been shown as capable of penetrating steel sheet in a tornado, and wooden beams are capable of penetrating walls.

 

They're not a vitable option, they're super expensive and people living in such regions aren't up for it either.

Indeed. The only reason people choose more basic housing material in that area is exactly because they live in a tornado zone. Building will be much much cheaper than a brick/cement/foundation house which would also get destroyed by a tornado, not giving too much additional protection. It's a lose-lose situation.

[Creed Bratton]

I wonder how long before Pat Robertson and WBC declare that this was god's wrath.

[GTAfiveFAN]

The death toll has been revised to 24 dead, according to USA Today and FOX News. It's great to hear that more people survived, but my heart goes out to those 24 and their family and friends

[Raavi]

I wonder how long before Pat Robertson and WBC declare that this was god's wrath.

Cause 'god' is angry 'cause there are still *southern accent* homosexuals, oh and they still want to take our guns away! Something that RepubliKKKans, fox-news comedians and the vast majority of bible-belters never will comprehend.

[GTAfiveFAN]

I wonder how long before Pat Robertson and WBC declare that this was god's wrath.

Cause 'god' is angry 'cause there are still *southern accent* homosexuals, oh and they still want to take our guns away! Something that RepubliKKKans, fox-news comedians and the vast majority of bible-belters never will comprehend.

Thank you very much for dragging politics and religion into a topic about a natural disaster

[TECHN9CiAN]

OP: i noticed you are including pics of victims, here's one you missed.

 

 

 

On a serious note my heart goes out to the victims and their families.

[IM_YOUR_GOD]

I'm mean, Tornado Alley.

 

Would any of you guys move to something called Drive-by Alley? How about Radiation Alley? No?

[FAH-Q]

I'm sure a lot of people don't have a choice but to live there. It's a lot easier said than done to just get up and move to another state.

 

Fricken badasses if you ask me. Oh where do you live? Tornado Alley. I like to f*ck around with the tornados every once in a while.

[GTA_stu]

With the exclamation mark on the end of Oklahoma, it made me think this thread was about the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!

 

Very sad though, so much destruction.

[walkingsickness]

They just updated the numbers.

 

24 people dead, nine children amongst the dead

 

source: CNN

[Wolf of Badenoch]

 

I'm sure a lot of people don't have a choice but to live there. It's a lot easier said than done to just get up and move to another state.

 

Fricken badasses if you ask me. Oh where do you live? Tornado Alley. I like to f*ck around with the tornados every once in a while.

They have serious guts living there.

Condolences to the family and friends of the victims.

[gtamann123]

I'm mean, Tornado Alley.

 

Would any of you guys move to something called Drive-by Alley? How about Radiation Alley? No?

Oklahoma is a badass state and has a good economy. Houston has hurricanes and flooding problems but I'm still going to move in with my dad their because Texas is an amazing state and Houston is an amazing city with a great economy and low cost of living. Sometimes it's worth the risk to live in an area prone to natural disasters

[El Dildo]

 

And still they don't restructure the buildings to make 'em tornado proof and prevent this.

Living in a Tornado zone is pretty silly, but sometimes it can't be avoided, but not rebuilding with Tornado proofing is just retarded.

 

you guys realize that "tornado proofing" is not cheap, right?

you can't just tornado proof every single building that a person might live/work in because most of those people could never afford the work or subsequent rent.

 

unless you want to donate the money for them to be able, this isn't happening anytime soon...

 

 

I'm mean, Tornado Alley.

 

Would any of you guys move to something called Drive-by Alley? How about Radiation Alley? No?

once again, you're being unrealistic.

 

most of those people have little or no choice.

because most of those people were born there and are too poor to up and move.

 

_______________

 

time-lapse video for your enjoyment:

 

 

[Creed Bratton]

 

you guys realize that "tornado proofing" is not cheap, right?

you can't just tornado proof every single building that a person might live/work in because most of those people could never afford the work or subsequent rent.

 

unless you want to donate the money for them to be able, this isn't happening anytime soon...

That's just another retarded problem in America. The cost of housing is so expensive that you can't afford tornado proofing in a tornado-prone area. That's not something that should happen in a first world country that a lot of people still [wrongfully] regard as the best country in the world. You pour so much money into the defense to fight dumb wars in the Middle East, yet you can't protect your own people from a tornado. And it's not like it's impossible, you just don't want to do it. Military funding and bailing out big banks is more important than the safety, health, education and overall quality of life of your own citizens and honest taxpayers. It's sick.

Edited May 21, 2013 by GTAvanja

[Ciaran]

Condolences to the people killed there

[I<3GTAV]

I don't know about anyone else, but Tornado Alley would be one of the first places I move to, Oklahoma and Texas, anyway. It's one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest region in the country, and it's extremely safe. I went to Oklahoma City 4 years ago, and I loved it. The only risk, of course, is bad weather.

[El Dildo]

 

That's just another retarded problem in America. The cost of housing is so expensive that you can't afford tornado proofing in a tornado-prone area. That's not something that should happen in a first world country that a lot of people still [wrongfully] regard as the best country in the world. You pour so much money into the defense to fight dumb wars in the Middle East, yet you can't protect your own people from a tornado. And it's not like it's impossible, you just don't want to do it. Military funding and bailing out big banks is more important than the safety, health, education and overall quality of life of your own citizens and honest taxpayers. It's sick.

jesus

did America kick your dog or something?

 

where to begin with this rambling diatribe....

 

 

The cost of housing is so expensive that you can't afford tornado proofing in a tornado-prone area.

this is not an "American problem."

 

go to any other civilized country and you'll find the same issue; most people cannot afford to -proof their home against whatever is the local natural disaster.

whether it's earthquakes or hurricanes or tornadoes or flooding.

 

most of the individual residential structures are not built to withstand these events because the average person can't afford it (assuming the structure did not have it to begin with).

if you think this is unique to America, you're sadly naive.

 

especially when it comes to your little speech about military spending and the big banks.

that's hilarious. obviously our military budget is severely bloated, I won't argue that. but to claim that America is somehow the only country on Earth which concerns itself with military spending and supporting the global banks is just ignorant. the Europeans are right along side us in that crime.

 

the US is far from perfect.

but I'd still rather live here than almost anywhere else in the world.

[Creed Bratton]

I never said that it's the only one. But out of all civilized countries it's the most retarded one when it comes to problem solving because you have enough resources to fix the majority of your problems, yet you seem to just get into bigger problems.

 

And maybe I don't live in a civilized country because where I live you can't get a permission to build any building if you don't follow the safety standards that protect the building from the earthquakes, floods, fires etc. And it's not more expensive. It's the standard. It's how everybody has to build. Our houses are made of actual bricks, concrete, iron and steel, not f*ckin' chipboards or whatever the f*ck that is. Europe isn't perfect, sure. But most European countries know that taking care of their own backyard is more important than fighting the sand people thousands of miles away.

 

I'm sorry that this happened, but you reap what you sow.

[El Dildo]

 

But out of all civilized countries it's the most retarded one when it comes to problem solving

yeah I don't think that's true.

agree to disagree I guess.

 

America is not perfect.

but there are a lot worse places to live with even more ineffective governments.

 

 

you have enough resources to fix the majority of your problems, yet you seem to just get into bigger problems.

this isn't really true either.

 

I mean, until you've cleaned out the skeletons from your own closet you should probably refrain from trying to clean others.

if there is another country on Earth where everyone solves all their problems in a timely and efficient manner and never runs into issues of money or corruption or politics, then I'd love to know about it

 

what you are describing is a HUMAN problem.

not an American problem.

 

get it?

 

 

where I live you can't get a permission to build any building if you don't follow the safety standards that protect the building from the earthquakes, floods, fires etc.

it's the exact same way in the US.

 

but guess what?

people don't constantly build brand new homes! news flash, I know...

 

most people have to live in homes that were built decades ago.

the older the home, the less weather proofing it had, and the more expensive it is to install new weather proofing.

 

you act like every single household should automatically be weather-proofed despite when it was built and who is occupying it now.

that's completely unrealistic.

 

 

Our houses are made of actual bricks, concrete, iron and steel, not f*ckin' chipboards or whatever the f*ck that is.

yes, many of our homes are built the exact same way.

 

but many homes are also old.

again; you act so surprised to learn that people live in old homes which they don't have the money to retrofit. wake up. this is real life. this is what most people have to deal with. we don't all have brand new homes made from the latest materials with the latest FEMA standards.

 

 

most European countries know that taking care of their own backyard is more important than fighting the sand people thousands of miles away.

 

yes because European countries never wasted money on bogus wars that they couldn't win

when Europe is perfect, then you can bitch about America. but until then, you look pretty silly.

[unc13bud]

it is only my personal opinion that TPTB sicked their harrp machine on them again. Maybe its related to that devil horse outside of the university. I think its real strange that 20 children passed away same as the Newtown massacre. i truly feel that the TPTB follows the tenets of ancient Rome and seek to sacrifice innocents on occasion to create their preferred realities from the sadness\matter energy manipulation of such events.