F4 Obliterates Moore Oklahoma; Death Toll Stands At 24
- Details
- Category: World News
- Last Updated on Saturday, 14 June 2014 05:23
- Published on Monday, 20 May 2013 21:22
- Written by Janet Walker
Moore, Oklahoma was decimated when an F4 Tornado with wind speeds of over 200mph cut a two mile wide swath through the city's South side, killing at least 24, injuring hundreds and demolishing everything in its path.
The Moore Tornado, which has been compared to the May 3, 1999 Oklahoma City F5, obliterated two elementary schools, slammed into the medical center, wiped out entire neighborhoods, ignited fires, tossed automobiles like toy cars, and showed no mercy as the powerful tornado plowed through this Oklahoma City suburb.
With the death toll climbing, total fatalities have yet to be confirmed, it is reported that nine children, of the 75 students and teachers, who were sheltering inside the Plaza Towers Elementary school, located on Moore’s South side which has been compared to a war zone, have been killed. That number is expected to rise.
Briarwood Elementary, the second of the two elementary schools that sustained a direct hit, have accounted for all their students.
The Moore Medical Center also sustain severe damage. The injured and all patients housed in the medical center were evacuated and treated in area hospitals.
No one, neither man nor beast, was spared as reports of extensive damage including between 75 and 100 horses killed from a single horse ranch are surfacing. Pictures of the giant twister show incredible strength as it snaps trees like matchsticks, snuffs out power lines with a pop and holds debris in the outer wind rotation.
Students were not given a severe weather emergency day even as the National Weather Service forecasted conditions would be right to produce severe weather as early as Saturday, May 18.
According to the National Weather Service, sirens notifying residents sounded at approximately 2:40pm Monday giving residents sixteen minutes of early warning time to seek shelter.
This is a developing story.
Sources: Various
