Reflections Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 http://houston.cbslo...y-of-the-world/ There are no words for how awful this is. ETA: Looks like the total was wrong - I'm sooo glad - but still so horrible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I just read 15 minutes ago that they were all ok!!! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I wonder why no one else is reporting this yet. How awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 my thoughts are with all the people affected by the terrible tornado. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I just read 15 minutes ago that they were all ok!!! :( I think there were two schools, and the other said everyone is okay. Could that be it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I think there were two schools, and the other said everyone is okay. Could that be it? Maybe! But I tend to wait until the next day for this stuff. There's such a rush to report that almost no one seems to give a hoot about accuracy. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I've been hearing conflicting reports. I'm choosing to hope someone is jumping the gun and this is wrong. It needs to be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 So far they've recovered 7 of the children's bodies. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are two schools. Plaza Towers and Briarwood. Briarwood's students are all accounted for. Plaza Towers has some children who did not make it, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are a lot of conflicting reports atm. This is a good local station, I would recommend it over some others http://www.news9.com...-control-center Things are very chaotic around there. Some are saying 7 killed and 20-30 missing but it is still very hard to determine what is really going on. It is just terrible :( I went to that elementary school. :( I can't believe it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are a lot of conflicting reports atm. This is a good local station, I would recommend it over some others http://www.news9.com...-control-center Things are very chaotic around there. Some are saying 7 killed and 20-30 missing but it is still very hard to determine what is really going on. It is just terrible :( I went to that elementary school. :( I can't believe it. Oh wow! It's tragic any way you look at it, but I can only imagine it's completely surreal when it affects you that closely. I hope you and yours are safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OK Family Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are a couple schools in Moore, ok that we're hit. One they are saying everyone was ok, the other school they haven't confirmed any fatalities yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 It is just terrible :( I went to that elementary school. :( I can't believe it. That must be especially awful when seeing this news. :grouphug: My prayers are with all involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are two schools. Planters and Briarwood. Briarwood's students are all accounted for. Planters has some children who did not make it, sadly. It's Plaza Towers, there is not a school named Planters in Moore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 It's Plaza Towers, there is not a school named Planters in Moore. Oops... you are right.... I was just discussing Planters bank moments before typing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are 37 confirmed deaths per the ME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are 37 confirmed deaths per the ME. Just for clarification, that is total, not the school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Now the fatalities have risen to at least 51. :( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324787004578495501019509408.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Devastating. Puts all of our squabbles on here seem silly doesn't it ? So, so sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Jean in Newcastle is your family okay??? Did it all go north of you? All other WTM Okies okay? We are in northern OK and the sky was clear and sunny as we watched the live footage of the funnel forming. It was very surreal, and just so devastating. As of an hour ago, there were still several children who survived the school being hit, but hadn't been claimed by parents/family. Cell phones are not working and many of the roads were blocked. The local news was interviewing parents who had to walk/run on foot for 3 or 4 miles to a meeting area to see if their child was there. Lots of prayers needed for these families! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Jean in Newcastle is your family okay??? Did it all go north of you? All other WTM Okies okay? We are in northern OK and the sky was clear and sunny as we watched the live footage of the funnel forming. It was very surreal, and just so devastating. As of an hour ago, there were still several children who survived the school being hit, but hadn't been claimed by parents/family. Cell phones are not working and many of the roads were blocked. The local news was interviewing parents who had to walk/run on foot for 3 or 4 miles to a meeting area to see if their child was there. Lots of prayers needed for these families! I hope she can update soon and let us know she is ok. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I didn't know she was from that Newcastle. I know we have some other posters from the area too. We are in Edmond, and had a scare yesterday. My heart is broken and I wish I could do something to help. It feels so weird to be so close and be unable to do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanseve Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 fyi - 7 children were found in the school deceased and there are still some children unaccounted for, but they keep adding places where children are waiting for parents. The number of missing students drops every hour or so, but no one has an exact number right now. I sure hope they find all those missing alive. JeninOK - I feel the same way. Moments like these I wish I could drop my kids off somewhere and go help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 :( I always thought Jean was from Seattle. This is so sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I wish a good system for predicting tornadoes could be invented. Tornadoes are so scary because they just appear. I know many are working on a warning system. I hope they succeed faster rather than slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 1 hour before the tornado hit Moore the cloud did NOT exist! It took 15 minutes for the cloud to form and rotation to begin... Moore had 45 minutes notice to prepare-- the OKC area has the most advanced tornado warning system in the world and it saved many many lives yesterday and today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 1 hour before the tornado hit Moore the cloud did NOT exist! It took 15 minutes for the cloud to form and rotation to begin... Moore had 45 minutes notice to prepare-- the OKC area has the most advanced tornado warning system in the world and it saved many many lives yesterday and today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I wish a good system for predicting tornadoes could be invented. Tornadoes are so scary because they just appear. I know many are working on a warning system. I hope they succeed faster rather than slower. We absolutely have warning, they have been telling us for days to be aware, and people do pay attention, the minute these storms begin to build they break in, take over the air and give us non stop information, There are people in what are basically tanks on the ground, helicopters in the air, and the best most advanced radar technology in the world. These storms do come on hard and fast, but we really truly do have the best weather people in the world, and as much warning as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 1 hour before the tornado hit Moore the cloud did NOT exist! It took 15 minutes for the cloud to form and rotation to begin... Moore had 45 minutes notice to prepare-- the OKC area has the most advanced tornado warning system in the world and it saved many many lives yesterday and today. That's true, the best meteorologists in the world work in OK and for a very good reason. They don't even have sirens where I live now, it's weird. We all grew up crouching in the hallways covering our heads, I think those days are over. Multiple schools in Moore have been completely destroyed, and not just in this storm. Some of the Moore schools have safe rooms, I hope more are installed after today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I'm not saying there aren't good scientists and good machines/computers. I'm saying I can't wait for them to be improved. I'm thinking that if elementary schools were hit....how much warning did they have? What system to they have for getting children to safety? Do they have underground bunkers at schools? It's tragic and the search for improvement is ongoing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Oh that is so sad. Prayers for the families. This is just surreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 My heart just breaks for that area. I was watching news coverage today with my jaw hanging open, watching them search the elementary schools. I hope all our boardies are okay. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 They didn't have underground shelters which is ridiculous IMO, They had about 30 minutes warning, which was the entire life of the storm, and got them to the safest place possible, but there should have been an underground area. The problem is that no matter how well they understand the atmosphere and know where it might fire up, the storms wibble wobble and go wherever the hell they want. The speed and intensity of these storms are just unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 They didn't have underground shelters which is ridiculous IMO, They had about 30 minutes warning, which was the entire life of the storm, and got them to the safest place possible, but there should have been an underground area. The problem is that no matter how well they understand the atmosphere and know where it might fire up, the storms wibble wobble and go wherever the hell they want. The speed and intensity of these storms are just unbelievable. You can't easily build underground shelters in Oklahoma. Very few homes have basements. The soil is too moist and the water table is too high. It is much more common to find safe rooms, which are steel reinforced concrete rooms. Some schools in Moore have entire hallways which are saferooms. Kelley Elementary is one school that has a safe room for a hallway. It is a newer school, it was leveled to the concrete slab in the May 3 1999 tornado. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 The one hit where the kids died was built like a giant saferoom. But it was only equipped for up to an F3 apparantly. I don't know if you can build to withstand an F5... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I grew up in Edmond, OK. The newer schools have "safe" classrooms, but the older schools don't. We spent half the Spring in duck and cover position in the hallways in the 70's and 80's. These F4-F5 tornados are a fairly new phenomena from my understanding. Homes/schools rarely have basements because the earth is clay. They fill with water. It's just so heartbreaking. There was no way to get out of Moore with that many children with only 40 minutes notice. There is a reason Gary England is featured in the movie Twister. The best of the best meterologists are in OKC. My prayers are with the people of OK today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 You can't easily build underground shelters in Oklahoma. Very few homes have basements. The soil is too moist and the water table is too high. It is much more common to find safe rooms, which are steel reinforced concrete rooms. Some schools in Moore have entire hallways which are saferooms. Yes, I should have been more clear, reinforced safe rooms are also a good option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 So tragic. My heart hurts for those families tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I'm not saying there aren't good scientists and good machines/computers. I'm saying I can't wait for them to be improved. I'm thinking that if elementary schools were hit....how much warning did they have? What system to they have for getting children to safety? Do they have underground bunkers at schools? It's tragic and the search for improvement is ongoing. Tornado warning was called at 2:40, it was in Moore by 3:15. They had about half an hour, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 They didn't have underground shelters which is ridiculous IMO, They had about 30 minutes warning, which was the entire life of the storm, and got them to the safest place possible, but there should have been an underground area. The problem is that no matter how well they understand the atmosphere and know where it might fire up, the storms wibble wobble and go wherever the hell they want. The speed and intensity of these storms are just unbelievable. You can't have underground shelters in that part of Oklahoma because the soil is clay and swells and contracts based on water content in the soil. They did the best they could. Who would have thought that another tornado of this magnitude would hit the exact same town twice in a little over a decade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Yes, I should have been more clear, reinforced safe rooms are also a good option. You can't build a safe room to withstand 200-300 mile an hour winds which is what Moore has experienced twice now. It will just be flattened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 So here's my hope for the future (and the sooner the better) that we can someday bring down a tornado. You know disrupt the whole thing so it dissipates. Sigh. My heart goes out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There have been other large F3 and F4 tornadoes in nearly the same area since the one in 1999, they have take slightly less horrific paths, but the fact is, they rip through here time and time again. There are maps and information on this page from a meteorologist. http://www.okctalk.com/current-events-open-topic/33846-oklahoma-severe-weather-discussion-may-2013-a-26.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There have been other large F3 and F4 tornadoes in nearly the same area since the one in 1999, they have take slightly less horrific paths, but the fact is, they rip through here time and time again. There are maps and information on this page from a meteorologist. http://www.okctalk.c...-2013-a-26.html They did not do that when I was younger though. I grew up in that area and we never saw anything like that until 1999. I imagine a lot more schools will have reinforced rooms by next spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Tornadoes are my one true fear. My heart aches for those families tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I wonder if there is some kind of atmospheric condition or jet stream path that brings these super tornadoes to Moore. I mean, seriously, what are the odds that two F5 tornadoes would hit the same town? I would probably get out of Moore after today if I could. It's just so scary and sad. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 :( I always thought Jean was from Seattle. This is so sad. Jean is from Seattle. Newcastle is a small suburb of Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 You can't build a safe room to withstand 200-300 mile an hour winds which is what Moore has experienced twice now. It will just be flattened. Actually yes, you can. Google it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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