http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2013/05/16/multiple-fatalities-reported-after-tornado-rips-through-north-texas-town/

Me too. thats pretty scary stuff. Even worse in the evening or after sunset when you can see them coming.

Mike

They say one was over a mile wide.

All tornadoes are bad. The only good thing, if there is a good thing, about the big ones is you pretty much know they are coming and give a better chance to take cover or run. What scares me most is when the supercells head your way and with out warning drop a finger down out of nowhere. Just a few weeks ago that happened a mile from us. It took out a couple houses and fortunately no one was hurt.

Here's a story for all you mid-westerners in the "tornado belt". When we were getting ready to uproot our family from S. California (I'm born and raised) to N. Indiana, we had been looking at several homes. When our realtor took us to the house we eventually bought to take a look at, he made a comment to me as we were walking through, "Wow, you have a really great, unobstructed view to the west, that's great." And, we did, huge picture windows all across the west side of the family room, big window in the dinette and kitchen. I had to ask, "why is that so great?" I was thinking maybe sunset, pretty view of the corn fields, what?? He turned to me like I was a big dummy and said, "Because, you'll have an unobstructed view of any tornadoes coming at you!" My next question was, "Does this place have a basement?!?" It did, and we spent many a late spring/summer day and night down there. Glad I'm back in "earthquake" country, lol!!

We quite a nervous day yesterday. The storm that produced this massive one down by Shawnee oklahoma was heading straight our way and then died down and turn south of us just a few miles before it got to us. One had just went north of us an hour or so prior. We are supposed to have more coming this afternoon. We had debris falling that was picked up by the storm over 90 miles away!



mike

Gosh, Mike. So terrifying. I spent 10 years in Indiana, moving from S. California. I never did get used to running to the basement when our weather radio went off! We were too far out in the country to hear the tornado sirens. I feel for you, and keeping you in my "no tornado" thoughts!!

Massive tornado hit Moore OK this afternoon. Moore is just south and east of OKC. 1000's of homes leveled. a couple schools hit while students were still there. No reports on casualties yet. high chance tomorrow for more severe weather. Eastern OK dodged the worst of it. worst tornado damage in 10 years. Lots of prayers needed.

Mike

We're watching the news right now. Early estimates are at least 60 square miles of damaged property. There is an elementary school that has been completely leveled, and there are 24 missing children. They are frantically trying to find them right now, it's a race against daylight. Prayers are needed for the people of Moore, OK.

Thanks patty. 37 confirmed dead. this so bad. 1999 was one of the worst to hit Moore or anywhere in OK and only 36 died then. That was before so many people had shelters.

edit= 24 dead as of 5-21-13 am

Mike, it looks like a war zone. Just heartbreaking. Many folks in this area do not have basements due to how stony/hard the ground is, according to the media reporting. So, with a tornado of this size and magnitude, the poor folks of Moore, OK had no where to safely go. My heart is breaking for them right now, especially for the families of the 3rd graders that were trapped in their elementary school. My God.

Of 51 who were killed, 20 were children. What a horrible day of tornadoes. Prayers and condolences for those affected.

Very sad.

Thanks everyone. Its a sad sad day for our friends down the highway. Many people in tulsa have loved ones that are from the OKC area. Safe rooms are becoming more and more available and in homes but some still just cant afford the 4-6 thousand dollar price. Patty your are right about the basements. Our soils are just so hard and shrink and contract so much that most basement walls will just crack and fall apart. The tornado hit early afternoon when alot of the people were gone to work. Had this happened around dinner time the numbers would be so much higher. That storm was on a direct path to my area and about 30-45 minutes before it would have gotten here it broke up and all but disappeared.
There were several other confirmed tornadoes last night but there was very little damages.

They just confirmed the number of dead dropped from 51 to 24. thats good news. I friend from another forum lives in moore and has not replied to our emails or online posting yet. Praying he and his family is ok.
just found this video of the tornado as is started.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XMF22_MEMJU

Mike

Wanted to say that I heard from Allan he is doing OK. so many others were not as lucky.

Mike