Oklahoma City devastation

[Maria D]

How terrifying! It's heartbreaking to hear about the fatalities and see the destruction. Ksinger - hope you are OK!

 

[Enerchi]

WHAT???? .....

 

[Enerchi]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/huge-tornado-touches-down-near-oklahoma-city-more-210536172.html?vp=1

 

[Maria D]

A massive tornado, over a mile wide, has touched down near Oklahoma City leveling everything in its wake.

 

[missy]

Oh no. How terrible.
My heart goes out to all those affected as do my prayers.

 

[SB621]

Our old apartment was completely destroyed . It was the first place DH and I lived together after being married. We are still waiting on hearing from several friends. I keep checking facebook to see if they have posted. We have a LARGE community of friends there so please keep them in your prayers.

 

[luv2sparkle]

That is so horrible! Many prayers for all those folks.

 

[pinkjewel]

Our old apartment was completely destroyed . It was the first place DH and I lived together after being married. We are still waiting on hearing from several friends. I keep checking facebook to see if they have posted. We have a LARGE community of friends there so please keep them in your prayers.

Oh, no- Sarahbear, I hope your friends are OK!! I happened to have the TV on when it showed the tornado forming. I switched to the weather channel and watched it on the ground for at least 45 minutes. I could only imagine the devastation that was happening on the ground- that tornado was HUGE!!!!! And to think it hit 2 schools,too. I was actually in tears at one point watching the destruction unfolding. My prayers are with Moore and it's residents and I hope and pray they find the children from those schools alive and well.

 

[SB621]

I still can't believe it hit an elementary school. My heart goes out to those children and parents. I hope they find survivors. According to our friends they are still going through the building.

 

[Okie_girl]

I just heard a local report that there may be up to 2000 children at Plaza Towers Elementary. I pray to god that's an exaggeration.

 

[ksinger]

I am OK, and I'll speak for Uppy and let you all know that she's OK too, although it was more of a squeaker for her than me. But a squeaker will do with a tornado, the only thing that matters is NOT being in it.

This guy is a goober, but the graphic is good. Uppy and I are NW of the tracks or SE of them, so the tornado tracked between us.
The yellow track is the F5 of May 3rd 1999, while the red track is today's F4.

http://kfor.com/2013/05/19/weather-tornadoes-on-ground-watches-warnings-across-state/

Bad link. Scroll down a bit for the graphic. It has a goofy looking guy and 2 lines in color.

 

[SB621]

Oh good I was thinking about you and Uppy as I knew she lived south of where I used to live---I have been trolling CS forum to see if she posted or not.

 

[AGBF]

I am OK, and I'll speak for Uppy and let you all know that she's OK too, although it was more of a squeaker for her than me. But a squeaker will do with a tornado, the only thing that matters is NOT being in it.

This guy is a goober, but the graphic is good. Uppy and I are NW of the tracks or SE of them, so the tornado tracked between us.
The yellow track is the F5 of May 3rd 1999, while the red track is today's F4.

http://kfor.com/2013/05/19/weather-tornadoes-on-ground-watches-warnings-across-state/

Bad link. Scroll down a bit for the graphic. It has a goofy looking guy and 2 lines in color.

I thought of you when I heard of a tornado in Oklahoma, even though I was nowhere near a computer and had no idea the death toll was so high. I am glad you and the other Pricescopers, who I hadn't known were in Oklahoma, are OK! Hugs to all of you gals: you, Uppy, and Sarahbear!

Deb

 

[ksinger]

I am OK, and I'll speak for Uppy and let you all know that she's OK too, although it was more of a squeaker for her than me. But a squeaker will do with a tornado, the only thing that matters is NOT being in it.

This guy is a goober, but the graphic is good. Uppy and I are NW of the tracks or SE of them, so the tornado tracked between us.
The yellow track is the F5 of May 3rd 1999, while the red track is today's F4.

http://kfor.com/2013/05/19/weather-tornadoes-on-ground-watches-warnings-across-state/

Bad link. Scroll down a bit for the graphic. It has a goofy looking guy and 2 lines in color.

I thought of you when I heard of a tornado in Oklahoma, even though I was nowhere near a computer and had no idea the death toll was so high. I am glad you and the other Pricescopers, who I hadn't known were in Oklahoma, are OK! Hugs to all of you gals: you, Uppy, and Sarahbear!

Deb

Thanks Deb.

I just flipped back to the coverage. They are still digging through the rubble of an elementary school that took a direct hit. It is recovery now, and not rescue, I hear. They don't expect any more survivors, and there are still over 20 children unaccounted for.

Such a nightmare...

 

[Matata]

Ksinger, I'm relieved to hear that you and Uppy are ok. Couldn't believe what I was seeing when I watched the news this evening.

 

[luv2sparkle]

There wasnt must news coverage when I pisted before, but we have been glued to the news since. Oh my gosh, this is devastating. I cant even imagine what that community is going through.

Do most people in that part of the county have cellars? We have fires and earthquakes in CA, I cant imagine going through a tornado. Is there a word that covers beyond terrifying?

 

[VRBeauty]

Karen - I wasn't aware that you live in Oklahoma. So glad to hear you're OK! Thank you for letting us know about Uppy too!

Sarah - I hope you get nothing but good news about your friends.

 

[ksinger]

Hi all. Thanks for the good wishes. We can use them. I'm sad to say I won the "bet" yesterday. I told my husband, "I have a really BAD feeling about today." He said, "Hm...I DON'T." While we were spared, tragically, I was correct.

luv2sparkle - no, most houses here do not have cellars or basements. At least not for most houses built past the 60's or so. For one, we, like most places, went to slab foundations over conventional due to the cost. I heard once, that building a basement adds about 20,000 to the cost of a home. And building basements here is problematic due to the near-solid clay that most of us sit on. It expands and contracts so much. In a hot dry summer, I've seen the ground pull away from a foundation almost 4 inches, which of course can cause all sorts of structural damage. You have to water the foundations in an Oklahoma summer.

Cellars are expensive too and not common in town. Modern safe rooms have become much more common though, and a lot of people have retrofitted their houses with them in the last decade. But there are still a bunch of homes without shelters, mine included. I know where to go and how to escape a tornado though, and am very inclined to run when necessary. We will be looking into a safe room though - I think it's time.

So..when I say I LOATHE spring, THIS is what I'm referring to. Spring anywhere else is ...spring. Here it is high-stress, or at least it is for me. And while I'm grateful it wasn't me, I harbor no illusions that I'm immune - these things can hit anywhere.

 

[chrono]

It just seems as though OK City never gets a break from bad news after bad news. So sorry for all the lives lost, lives uprooted, long term damage and trauma. I hope OK City PSers are safe and sound.

 

[Kunzite]

ksinger, I'm happy to hear you're safe. We're in KS and had a close call on Sunday. We don't have a basement or shelter and it really rattled me, especially with 3 very small children. I'm sure you've already heard of them but these seems to be highly recommended, at least in my frantic research over the last few days. http://www.flatsafe.com/

 

[Okie_girl]

A little over a year ago, I had a storm shelter installed in my garage, one of those that goes in the floor of the garage. I've not had to use it, didn't have to use it yesterday, but the peace of mind it gives me is immeasurable. Now if I could only get my dogs to warm up to the idea of getting in it!

 

[iLander]

A little over a year ago, I had a storm shelter installed in my garage, one of those that goes in the floor of the garage. I've not had to use it, didn't have to use it yesterday, but the peace of mind it gives me is immeasurable. Now if I could only get my dogs to warm up to the idea of getting in it!

Throw a steak in there, and they'll follow it right in!

 

[iLander]

This is so awful. My heart and tons of dust goes to all those parents and children.

 

[dragonfly411]

I'm so glad to hear PS'ers are ok! This has been so devastating. Mother Nature is so powerful and even being prepared we are sometimes left defenseless. All I can do today is pray for those affected.

 

[Circe]

It's just nightmarish. Going to go and look to see if I can find a relief fund for the survivors ....

 

[Okie_girl]

It's just nightmarish. Going to go and look to see if I can find a relief fund for the survivors ....

For animals: http://www.okhumane.org/blog/how-you-can-help-moore-tornado-damage

For people: http://www.regionalfoodbank.org/

 

[ame]

This is just...wow. I was shocked this was not an F5, and I am totally heartbroken that so many were killed, especially kids, and so much damage. It's almost two years to the day from Joplin.

 

[ksinger]

They have revised the death toll way downward, so that is good. I think some of the high reports may have been people still not finding each other in the mess, or irrational exuberance on the part of the national press who DO love a gory headline. As if it isn't gory enough around here.

I will say this though, it makes one reflective every time something like this happens. People like to slag Oklahohma for its many failings. And there ARE many, and I am a great critic at times. But some of the same forces that make us insular and provincial, also make us harder and stronger in some ways, than other places.

We are used to risk here - we take it whether we like it or not, simply by living here. We've been dust bowled and bombed, we are tornadoed regularly - not just the spectacular ones like this one - have an incredibly harsh climate even when there are no storms, and we are tied to agriculture (alwasy dicey) and oil (boom and bust). We tend towards a collective fatalism that I've not seen in too many other states, because we know better than most and more often than most, how quickly it can all be taken away, and there really isn't anything anyone can do about it. But we keep getting back up. We endure over and over. And those are not bad qualities at all.

I have my complaints, but right now I'm proud of this state.

 

[momhappy]

After doing some research on the best charity to donate to, this was my choice: http://www.regionalfoodbank.org

 

[Upgradable]

They have revised the death toll way downward, so that is good. I think some of the high reports may have been people still not finding each other in the mess, or irrational exuberance on the part of the national press who DO love a gory headline. As if it isn't gory enough around here.

I will say this though, it makes one reflective every time something like this happens. People like to slag Oklahohma for its many failings. And there ARE many, and I am a great critic at times. But some of the same forces that make us insular and provincial, also make us harder and stronger in some ways, than other places.

We are used to risk here - we take it whether we like it or not, simply by living here. We've been dust bowled and bombed, we are tornadoed regularly - not just the spectacular ones like this one - have an incredibly harsh climate even when there are no storms, and we are tied to agriculture (alwasy dicey) and oil (boom and bust). We tend towards a collective fatalism that I've not seen in too many other states, because we know better than most and more often than most, how quickly it can all be taken away, and there really isn't anything anyone can do about it. But we keep getting back up. We endure over and over. And those are not bad qualities at all.

I have my complaints, but right now I'm proud of this state.

Ksinger says it as well as I've ever heard it stated. We're a strange bunch, but it makes us tough.

Thank you all for your concern and well wishes. There will be a lot of tears during the clean up, but people will raise their chins, rebuild and continue to help their neighbor do the same.