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| Monstrous tornado devastates Oklahoma suburbs | Monstrous tornado devastates Oklahoma suburbs |
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| A monstrous tornado at least half a mile (800m) wide has roared through suburbs of Oklahoma City, flattening entire neighbourhoods and destroying a primary school with winds up to 200mph (320kph). At least 51 people have been killed, including at least 20 children, and officials say the death toll is expected to rise to 91. | |
| The Oklahoma medical examiner's office said it has not yet received the latest 40 bodies to have been retrieved from the rubble in Moore, but had been told by emergency services to expect them, an official has said. | The Oklahoma medical examiner's office said it has not yet received the latest 40 bodies to have been retrieved from the rubble in Moore, but had been told by emergency services to expect them, an official has said. |
| The ferocious storm – less than 1% of all tornadoes reach such wind speeds – ripped through the suburb of Moore on Monday in a mid-west region of the US known as tornado alley. | The ferocious storm – less than 1% of all tornadoes reach such wind speeds – ripped through the suburb of Moore on Monday in a mid-west region of the US known as tornado alley. |
| The storm laid waste to scores of buildings in the community of 41,000 people about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City. Block after block lay in ruins. Homes were crushed into piles of broken wood. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside. Rescuers launched a desperate rescue effort at the Plaza Towers school, pulling children from heaps of debris and carrying them to a triage centre. | The storm laid waste to scores of buildings in the community of 41,000 people about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City. Block after block lay in ruins. Homes were crushed into piles of broken wood. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside. Rescuers launched a desperate rescue effort at the Plaza Towers school, pulling children from heaps of debris and carrying them to a triage centre. |
| The National Weather Service estimated that the tornado was an EF-4 on the enhanced five-point Fujita scale, the second most powerful type of twister. | The National Weather Service estimated that the tornado was an EF-4 on the enhanced five-point Fujita scale, the second most powerful type of twister. |
| More than 120 people were being treated at hospitals, including about 50 children as the search-and-rescue efforts continued throughout the night. | More than 120 people were being treated at hospitals, including about 50 children as the search-and-rescue efforts continued throughout the night. |
| Amy Elliott, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, told the Associated Press early on Tuesday that officials could see as many as 40 more fatalities from the tornado in addition to the 51 already confirmed dead. She said at least 20 children were among the confirmed dead. | Amy Elliott, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, told the Associated Press early on Tuesday that officials could see as many as 40 more fatalities from the tornado in addition to the 51 already confirmed dead. She said at least 20 children were among the confirmed dead. |
| In video footage 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, awnings and glass all over the streets. | In video footage 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, awnings and glass all over the streets. |
| The Oklahoma governor, Mary Fallin, deployed National Guard members to assist with rescue operations and activated extra highway patrol officers. | The Oklahoma governor, Mary Fallin, deployed National Guard members to assist with rescue operations and activated extra highway patrol officers. |
| Fallin also spoke to President Barack Obama, who declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. | Fallin also spoke to President Barack Obama, who declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. |
| "Hearts are broken" for parents looking for their children, Fallin told a news conference. | "Hearts are broken" for parents looking for their children, Fallin told a news conference. |
| At the school, the storm tore off the roof, knocked down walls and turned the playground into a mass of twisted plastic and metal. | At the school, the storm tore off the roof, knocked down walls and turned the playground into a mass of twisted plastic and metal. |
| Children from the school were among the dead, but several students were pulled alive from the rubble. Rescue workers passed the survivors down a human chain to the triage centre in the car park. | Children from the school were among the dead, but several students were pulled alive from the rubble. Rescue workers passed the survivors down a human chain to the triage centre in the car park. |
| James Rushing, who lives across the street from the school, heard reports of the approaching twister and ran to the school, where his five-year-old foster son, Aiden, attends classes. Rushing believed he would be safer there. | James Rushing, who lives across the street from the school, heard reports of the approaching twister and ran to the school, where his five-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. | "About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart," he said. |
| The students were sent into the bathroom. | The students were sent into the bathroom. |
| A man with a megaphone stood near a Catholic church on Monday evening and called out the names of surviving children. Parents waited nearby, hoping to hear their sons' and daughters' names. | A man with a megaphone stood near a Catholic church on Monday evening and called out the names of surviving children. Parents waited nearby, hoping to hear their sons' and daughters' names. |
| As dusk began to fall, heavy equipment was rolled up to the school, and emergency workers wearing yellow crawled among the ruins, searching for survivors. | As dusk began to fall, heavy equipment was rolled up to the school, and emergency workers wearing yellow crawled among the ruins, searching for survivors. |
| Crews used jackhammers and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug. | Crews used jackhammers and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug. |
| Many telephone lines to stricken areas were down, and mobile phone networks were congested. The storm was so massive that it will take time to establish communications between rescuers and state officials, the governor said. | Many telephone lines to stricken areas were down, and mobile phone networks were congested. The storm was so massive that it will take time to establish communications between rescuers and state officials, the governor said. |
| Tiffany Thronesberry said she heard from her mother, Barbara Jarrell, shortly after the tornado struck. | Tiffany Thronesberry said she heard from her mother, Barbara Jarrell, shortly after the tornado struck. |
| "I got a phone call from her screaming, 'Help! Help! I can't breathe. My house is on top of me!'" Thronesberry said. | "I got a phone call from her screaming, 'Help! Help! I can't breathe. My house is on top of me!'" Thronesberry said. |
| She hurried to her mother's house, where first responders had already pulled Jarrell out. She was taken to hospital for treatment of cuts and bruises. | She hurried to her mother's house, where first responders had already pulled Jarrell out. She was taken to hospital for treatment of cuts and bruises. |
| The tornado also destroyed the city hospital and numerous businesses. The mayor of Moore, Glenn Lewis, said he watched it pass through from his jewellery shop. "All of my employees were in the vault." | The tornado also destroyed the city hospital and numerous businesses. The mayor of Moore, Glenn Lewis, said he watched it pass through from his jewellery shop. "All of my employees were in the vault." |
| He said the cleanup had already started and city workers were already at work printing new street signs to replace those that blew away. | He said the cleanup had already started and city workers were already at work printing new street signs to replace those that blew away. |
| Chris Calvert saw the tornado from about a mile away. | Chris Calvert saw the tornado from about a mile away. |
| "I was close enough to hear it," he said. "It was just a low roar, and you could see the debris, like pieces of shingles and insulation and stuff like that, rotating around it." | "I was close enough to hear it," he said. "It was just a low roar, and you could see the debris, like pieces of shingles and insulation and stuff like that, rotating around it." |
| Even though his neighbourhood is a mile from the tornado's path, it was still covered with debris. He found a picture of a small girl on Santa Claus's lap in his yard. | Even though his neighbourhood is a mile from the tornado's path, it was still covered with debris. He found a picture of a small girl on Santa Claus's lap in his yard. |
| A map provided by the National Weather Service showed that the storm began west of Newcastle and crossed the Canadian river into Oklahoma City's rural far south-western side about 3pm local time. When it reached Moore, the twister cut a path through the centre of town before lifting back into the sky at Lake Stanley Draper. | A map provided by the National Weather Service showed that the storm began west of Newcastle and crossed the Canadian river into Oklahoma City's rural far south-western side about 3pm local time. When it reached Moore, the twister cut a path through the centre of town before lifting back into the sky at Lake Stanley Draper. |
| Oklahoma City police captain Dexter Nelson said downed power lines and open gas lines posed a risk in the aftermath of the storm. | Oklahoma City police captain Dexter Nelson said downed power lines and open gas lines posed a risk in the aftermath of the storm. |
| The tornado loosely followed the same path of a killer twister that hit Moore in May 1999. That storm produced the highest winds ever recorded near the Earth's surface – 302 mph. | The tornado loosely followed the same path of a killer twister that hit Moore in May 1999. That storm produced the highest winds ever recorded near the Earth's surface – 302 mph. |
| Kelsey Angle, a weather service meteorologist in Kansas City, Missouri, said it was unusual for two such powerful tornadoes to track roughly the same path. | Kelsey Angle, a weather service meteorologist in Kansas City, Missouri, said it was unusual for two such powerful tornadoes to track roughly the same path. |
| It was the fourth tornado to hit Moore since 1998. A twister also struck in 2003. | It was the fourth tornado to hit Moore since 1998. A twister also struck in 2003. |
| Oklahoma City has had more tornado strikes than any other city in the United States, the city government's website says. | Oklahoma City has had more tornado strikes than any other city in the United States, the city government's website says. |
| Monday's devastation in Oklahoma came almost exactly two years after an enormous twister ripped through the city of Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people and injuring hundreds more. On Monday, Joplin organised a team of about a dozen police and firefighters to assist in Moore. | Monday's devastation in Oklahoma came almost exactly two years after an enormous twister ripped through the city of Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people and injuring hundreds more. On Monday, Joplin organised a team of about a dozen police and firefighters to assist in Moore. |
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