"Mile wide" Tornado touches down in Oklahoma

[mancini79]

Horrifying...

8 Minutes is not enough time to even get into an appropriate shelter against one this big.

 

Thoughts and prayers with our friends in OK.

 

I've been hearing 18 minutes from the time of the first sighting until it reached the city of Moore. 

[gotbeer]

Fox showing a graphic.  40 minutes on ground.  16 min warning.

[Tank]

The video is heartbreaking.

[xboom28x]

Sirens go off for Severe Thunderstorm Warnings as well as Tornado Warnings. And it's the same sound. So there are many times that a siren goes off and people think, "ok, I will look outside in a bit to see if I should find a storm shelter or just stay indoors." Because 90% of the time, it's just a severe storm. It's not until they actually see the Tornado that they run for the storm shelters. And a lot of times, that's too late.

 

Plus, in metro areas, it's not like storm shelters are dug in the ground at shopping centers and schools. Underground shelters, from what I understand, are quite expensive and that is just to fit a small family in a single home. I can't imagine how much it would cost a school to build a similar shelter to fit hundreds of kids.

[gotbeer]

51 confirmed dead.  At least 20 are children.  

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

NEW: OK Med Examiner spokesperson tells Fox News her office has been told to expect bodies of 20 children - @KFINEWS

[gotbeer]

So the weather forcaster on CNN said 16 minutes warning before first touchdown.  30 minutes after that before it hit Moore.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I lived in Moore for a number of years. I am still trying to find out about the welfare of friends who live about a half mile north of the elementary school where the children were killed. That is basically my old neighborhood. Have already been in contact with family in Norman, they are all OK although my brother-in-law and his family had a close call. The tornado passed just north of them, but not by much.

 

I moved to Las Vegas about six months before the F5 hit in 1999. The last apartment complex I lived in was leveled. Had I stayed I would have been at best homeless. There were things I liked about Oklahoma, but the weather in May wasn't one of them.

[Lhalo]

Damn LV that's nuts. Glad your fam is ok.

[Brandon]

This is just terrible. I have family there that are reporting safety, but can't help but feel for everyone involved. I'm kind of in worry mode still as we have a friend of AW (I won't post his name because it's not my place) who lost communication with his wife after it hit.

 

Just a terrible tragedy.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

From what family members tell me, don't read anything into losing communication. A lot of stuff was wiped out in a short period of time. Family members in Norman just got their electricity and internet back about two hours ago, and they were nowhere near where the bulk of the damage occurred.

 

I saw a report on CNN a little earlier tonight from an area I am very familiar with and went through hundreds of times, but all the landmarks are gone. It's surreal.

[Lhalo]

Here is some home video of the tornado and it's aftermath in Moore.

 

[gotbeer]

40 more reported dead.  

[Lhalo]

Here is a time lapse video of the tornado. (may want to mute to avoid chipmunk voices)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-kdL_UOwGo

[gotbeer]

Scary how it turned from something that looked so innocent, and a normal run of the mill tornado, into the finger of god.  

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

MORE: @piersmorgan: -- Amy Elliot, Chief of Medical Examiner's office, just confirmed 51 confirmed dead, + 40 more bodies now discovered.

[fan_since79]

A KFC cook stepped outside and recorded the tornado on his cellphone:

 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/21/18386194-oh-my-god-kfc-cook-records-dramatic-footage-of-monster-tornado?lite

 

 

[tennischmp]

Devastating! RIP

[Jason]

This is terrible. Just another reminder of how God doesn't promise us tomorrow and we should treat those around us as if every hour is our last.

[Lhalo]

Good news: death toll LOWERED to 24. It's not very often you hear that happen. Hopefully it stays at that or lower.

[Adam]

I've got a partner company in OKC. One of the workers lost everything he owned. Thankfully no physical harm to anyone or their families.

[tennischmp]

this is touching

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c-pp2ODjrbM

[Lhalo]

Dorothy and Toto made it through one more time.

[nate]

Kevin Durant donated 1 million dollars to the disaster relief fund.  One of the all time good guys.

[gotbeer]

this is touching

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c-pp2ODjrbM

 

Except for the part where the CNN reporter and cameraman don't help.  F'n CNN.