Tag Archives: storm

Pray for them. Tornado Hits Oklahoma City According to Mail Online A mother and child were killed as multiple tornadoes rolled in from the prairie and slammed Oklahoma City and its suburbs on Friday, crumbling cars and tractor-trailers along a major interstate. The broad storm hit during the evening rush hour, causing havoc on Interstate 40, a major artery connecting suburbs east and west of the city. To the south, winds approaching 80 mph were forecast for Moore, where a top-of-the-scale EF5 tornado killed 24 on May 20. Police say the woman was driving an SUV along the interstate near El Reno when the powerful twister flipped the vehicle over. Floodwaters collected in streets. Troopers requested a number of ambulances at I-40 near Yukon, west of Oklahoma City. Hail and heavy rain pelted the metro area to the point that emergency workers had trouble responding to ‘widespread’ reports of injuries. ‘We’re scrambling around,’ said Lara O’Leary, a spokeswoman for the local ambulance agency. ‘There is very low visibility with the heavy rain … so we’re having trouble getting around. ‘The damage is very, very widespread.’ Tornado warnings were also posted Friday night near Tulsa and the area near St. Louis, including Joplin, Mo – where 158 people were killed on May 22, 2011 when an EF-5 tornado struck. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says motorists have been hurt in a storm that hit the Oklahoma City area and that others are missing. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a mother and child were killed as tornadoes moved through Oklahoma City. Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph says troopers found the bodies in a vehicle along Intersate 40 west of the city Friday. At least six semis on their side at a weight station on I-40 near Oklahoma City, photographer Jim Beckel reported. Numerous vehicles were damaged in the storm and that many motorists are stranded. Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport was evacuated as the city braced for the tornado, that was moving at 40 mph. Local news reported an estimated 1,200 people were at the airport. NBC News reported that the passengers were herded to the basement and told to put their hands on their heads as they waited out the storm. Tornado sirens were heard blaring in Moore, Oklahoma – that was ravaged by a deadly tornado last week. Storm chasers with cameras in their car transmitted video showing a number of funnels dropping from the supercell thunderstorm as it passed south of El Reno and toward downtown Oklahoma City. Police urged motorists to leave the crosstown Interstate 40 and seek a safe place. The storm was headed toward Oklahoma City, which has more than a million people in the metro area. ‘If you live in downtown Oklahoma City, please go below ground. Do it right now,’ local news forecasters told viewers. The Weather Channel storm chaser van, Tornado Hunt, that was following the approaching tornado was reportedly thrown 200 yards as it tried to track the twister. These natural disasters are getting crazier and crazier. AP

Go here to read the rest:
Breaking News: Mile-Wide Tornado Hits Oklahoma City, Flips Over Tractor Trailers and Injures Multiple People