Amid downed power lines, hissing gas pipes and immense devastation, rescuers searched "board by board" Tuesday for survivors and victims of a massive tornado that pulverized a vast swath of the Oklahoma City suburbs.
It was a daunting task. The Monday afternoon storm carved a trail through the area as much as two miles wide and 17 miles long, officials said. Hardest hit was Moore, Oklahoma -- a suburban town of about 56,000 and the site of eerily similar twisters in 1999 and again four years later.
The state medical examiner's office said 24 people were confirmed dead, including nine children. Earlier reports of at least 51 deaths were erroneous, said Amy Elliot, chief administrative officer for the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. More than 200 people were injured.
At least 100 people have been pulled alive from the rubble by rescuers.
Yeah it was crazy the thing was 2 miles wide and traveled twenty miles and completely leveled several suburbian areas with only the foundation of thousands of houses left and debris strewn everywhere, it also lasted for 45 minutes...
My aunt's sister's house in Moore is completely flattened and her entire neighborhood is obliterated. My family lives in OK and it's pretty scary thinking that you know someone going through all of this. Whether it is nature or pollution, my thoughts and prayers are out to everyone who lives out there, especially the families of the elementary school children who died.
this is one of the worst tornadoes to hit Oklahoma. What's worse is how an multiple elementary schools were ripped off the ground, with the kids still inside. Many of the teachers protected the kids my shielding them with their, the teacher's, body.
This is so incredibly sad. I feel awful for all of the families who have to go through this, as well as loosing a loved one. Definitely praying for them