Devastation in Oklahoma as “mile-wide” “200 mph” tornado hits near #OKC

It also reportedly leveled an elementary school. There are mixed reports that all kids in the school are accounted for but nothing confirmed. Please keep the state in your prayers as rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts get underway. Via Fox News:

A mile-wide tornado churned through Oklahoma City’s suburbs Monday afternoon, causing significant property damage for the second day in a row, as part of a severe weather outbreak that was expected to spread in other parts of the Plains and Midwest.

Television footage on Monday afternoon showed homes and buildings that had been reduced to rubble in Moore, Okla., south of Oklahoma City. Footage also showed vehicles littering roadways south and southwest of Oklahoma City.

Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department also said and elementary school in Moore suffered “extensive damage.” There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The National Weather Service said the tornado was on the ground for nearly 40 minutes, with the first tornado warning coming 16 minutes before it touched down.

Search and rescue crews are now staging at the Warren Theaer in Moore to look for anyone who may be trapped in the rubble, Fox 25 reports. Aerial flyovers showed crowds of residents picking through debris.

[…]

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman had predicted a major outbreak of severe weather Monday in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. The National Weather ServiceΒ has also issuedΒ tornado watches and warnings for counties in Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

On Sunday, at least two people were killed and 29 were injured in Oklahoma as a severe storm system generated several tornadoes in Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa, leveling neighborhoods and

Unconfirmed reports say today’s twister took at 12 mile path. Β  Β Of course, this story is still developing so for the latest, make sure to stay tuned to one of the 24 hour networks, Β the Weather Channel, your local news if you live at or near the affected areas, and to social media platforms which update constantly. Β  There are tornado watches in other parts of OK and TX right now, so it’s REALLY important to stay informed about this for those potentially in the path of the storm. Β BE SAFE.

It looks really, really bad there. Β Praying hard for all impacted.

OKC devastation
Fire breaks out amid the destruction after a tornado touched down near Oklahoma City on Monday. – Photo via NBC.

 

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