['ol Pinion head]

The local media has not yet been informed of that. The 3rd graders that were supposedly kneeling in the hall at that particular elementary school have not yet been rescued/recovered. Praying that they are all not lost. There are multiple dozens of rescue workers in the rubble at that school. Unfortunately, the state med examiner office just reported there are 37 confirmed dead from this afternoons Moore tornado

[Bob Dillon]

State Medical Examiner: 37 People Dead, Death Toll Expected To Rise

The medical examiner’s Office says at least 37 people were killed, and the death toll is expected to rise, after a monstrous tornado as much as a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and setting buildings on fire.

KFOR-TV reports that up to 24 children are believed dead at the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore and that it has turned into a search and recovery effort. The storm tore off the roof, knocked down walls and turned the playground into a mass of twisted plastic and metal. Several children were pulled alive from the rubble, however. Rescue workers passed the survivors down a human chain to a triage center in the parking lot.

At least seven of the children drowned after being found at the bottom of a pool at Plaza Towers, according to KFOR.

The storm laid waste to scores of buildings in Moore, south of the city. Block after block of the community lay in ruins, with heaps of debris piled up where homes used to be. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside.

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.

In video of the storm, the dark funnel cloud could be seen marching slowly across the green landscape. As it churned through the community, the twister scattered shards of wood, pieces of insulation, awnings, shingles and glass all over the streets.

Volunteers and first responders raced to search the debris for survivors.

James Rushing, who lives across the street from the Plaza Towers school, heard reports of the approaching tornado and ran to the school, where his 5-year-old foster son, Aiden, attends classes. Rushing believed he would be safer there.

“About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart,” he said.

The students were placed in the restroom.


“There’s no safe room in the school. There will be,” said Rushing, who said his home was virtually destroyed.

All of the children at the elementary school that took the direct blow, Briarwood Elementary School, have been accounted for, according to KWTV.

KFOR meteorologist Mike Morgan called this “the worst tornado damage in the history of the world.”

Up to 100 horses were killed on one farm in Moore, KFOR reports.

Jim Couch, city manager for Oklahoma City, told CBS News that the area is facing “significant damage.”

“We are in search and rescue mode at this time,” Couch said.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has deployed 80 Oklahoma National Guard members to assist with search and rescue operations in the hardest hit areas of Moore.

Fallin said Monday the troops will also help establish a perimeter around some of the most devastated areas in the Oklahoma City suburb.

Fallin also spoke Monday with President Barack Obama who offered the nation’s help and gave Fallin a direct line to his office.

Oklahoma City Police Capt. Dexter Nelson said downed power lines and open gas lines posed a risk in the aftermath of the system.

The same suburb was hit hard by a tornado in 1999. That storm had the distinction of producing the highest winds ever recorded near the earth’s surface — 302 mph.

['ol Pinion head]

Not good.

Don't trust channel 4 though

[David Holmberg]

They just upped the death toll to 52.

['ol Pinion head]

Currently 7 confirmed children at Plaza Tower Elem are deceased. There are more children to be found. One of my wife's sorority sister's nephews was buried under cinder blocks at Plaza Tower Elem. He is fine. Other children have been dug out as well, alive. The school's lower floor was flooded by a large broken pipe & that's where there were numerous fatalities.

[69Goat1]

Still here... We had a tornado develop just after it passed us and headed on to westville. I love living here in Oklahoma but hate the tornado activity. The storms almost always start near OKC and end up coming right through here or Tulsa. We are much hillier in this area so I think it helps dissipate the funnels that start around here. I had a home north of Tahlequah that a tornado passed nearby and it sucked all the windows out of the house and I never did find our well house...

Bad all the way around for the people of Moore Oklahoma. I feel terrible for them and those children...

[Judge273]

Be safe OK in our prayers!

[cuz68]

This is really bad, My prayers are with you all.

[AGTO8U]

The news said the tornado formed fast with only 8 min warning. I am worried about our friend Henry and his family who live in Moore. My daughters live in OKC area and 1 was in the basement shelter of OU med center when the storm hit. The other was in Bethany and both are ok.

[Lemans64]

Our thoughts are with those affected.

[thepontiacman]

My thoughts and Prayers go out to the people in that area.

Looks terrible from the news.

Alabama has pledged help to OK.

[GT182]

Time-lasp video of it from from NBC news..... http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nbc-new...5473/#51945473 Go full screen.

Those fools in the news chopper were lucky they weren't fatalities too.

[68lemansman]

Prayers go out to everyone in Moore Oklahoma. My sister lives in Hannibal MO and said she has lost power and the neighbors roof blew off. Also a lot of power lines down. They also had tornando warnings.That is one strong line of storms going across the midwest.

[GTOMazz]

Its another sad day. God bless all those families. Donate to the red cross!

Photos below

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...#slide=2477885

['ol Pinion head]

Highway Patrol has announced 101 survivors were found under rubble/in home shelters over night. death toll is now at 91, w 20 being children

[sdbob]

Prayers sent here.Red Cross will get donation.

['ol Pinion head]

Official death toll is being revised downward, much lower.

[Nomadac]

My prayers go out to all of the victims of this devastating tornado. I don't know where the victims will begin to rebuild their lives, with everything a total loss.

The second tragedy will be when all of the scam artists descend on the area and the victims.

[hurryinhoosier62]

The revised death total is now 24 including 7 children. The earlier totals were due to mass confusion.

[David Holmberg]

What I heard was they weren't going to take reports of bodies found, they would only count the bodies in front of the coroner.

I have to say I like that approach, but fear the feeling of relief will be short lived.