This didn't seem proper in the weather thread or the media coverage thread.

This thread will serve as information for the destructive tornadoes of May 20, 2013. May 19th too as far as that goes.

Official information, how to help, pictures, links, whatever you want.

The Daily Mail newspaper in London, of all places, has many photos and videos on one page.
US tornadoes: Yet more heartbreak for Oklahoma as another massive tornado touches down in highly populated suburb | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328000/US-tornadoes-Yet-heartbreak-Oklahoma-massive-tornado-touches-highly-populated-suburb.html)

A couple of notes:

Moore needs to re-label some streets. East and west it's OKC with their numbering system. In Moore it's something else. I think people don't connect the 2. IHNFI what SW 149th is in Moore.

The timing of this storm was really bad, but not as bad as it could be. If it was 30 minutes later, it may have been far worse with school busses on the streets.

The weather people have done a fantastic job. We've known about this since last Wednesday, or at least the probabilities of this. Unlike earthquakes and other natural disasters with no warning, the forecasting in this arena just gets better and better.

Prayers to all of those affected today, and later tonight.

The City of Moore Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/cityofmoore/posts/628210043874859

Why wasn't some of the MAPS for kids money used on storm shelters for all the schools?

via News 9 Twitter feed
UPDATE: If you or someone you know is displace because of today's storms, Graceway Baptist Church at 1100 SW 104th is taking victims.
https://twitter.com/NEWS9

Why wasn't some of the MAPS for kids money used on storm shelters for all the schools?

These are Moore schools. Wouldn't have been covered by OKC-only MAPS.

http://binaryapi.ap.org/a02eb5cc08d9427abb11f434ab59e318/460x.jpg

The extent of the damage is being estimated at 3X that of May 3rd, 1999. That puts this in perspective.

http://i.imgur.com/96qXHbo.jpg

Official Statement from the White House:

The Administration, through FEMA, is closely monitoring the storm. The President has been notified by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco and is receiving updates from his team as information comes in from the ground. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has spoken with Governor Mary Fallin to make sure there are no unmet needs and to make clear that at the President’s direction the Administration and FEMA stand ready to provide all available assistance in response to the severe weather.

The Administration continues to urge all those in affected or potentially affected areas to follow the direction of state and local officials as this severe weather continues.

UPDATE: Gov. Mary Fallin says the President personally phoned her within the past hour and has promised anything we need on the fast-track.

Washington Promises Help After Oklahoma Tornado Devastation (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/obama-oklahoma-tornado_n_3308968.html)

Check out the slideshow of tweets from Washington DC. We've got a lot of support. It begins right after the 3rd paragraph at the link above.

Even Hollywood has some sensitivity http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mike-molly-finale-pulled-due-525705

Midwest Tornadoes News & Headlines (http://news.yahoo.com/event/oklahoma-tornado-damage-updates-headlines/?vp=1)

Obama is expected to make an announcement tomorrow.

Massive Tornado Rips Through Oklahoma City Suburbs : The Two-Way : NPR (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/20/185588779/tornado-emergency-declared-in-oklahoma-city)

BBC News - Massive tornado rips through Oklahoma City suburbs (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22604251)

Plaza Towers has moved from Search & Rescue to Search & Recovery. As hard as it is to even write, they said there was crying and anguish heard under the rubble and they no longer hear any children. It's believed two dozen children have died under Plaza Towers Elementary. No wonder Lance West burst into tears on live TV as Lance was on the scene there at Plaza Towers. Heartbreaking.

City of Moore Hit by Tornado | City of Moore (http://www.cityofmoore.com/city-moore-hit-tornado)

These are Moore schools. Wouldn't have been covered by OKC-only MAPS.

Has Moore ever tried to organize a similar effort? It seems crazy to me that their schools weren't outfitted with shelters after the '99 tornado.

Has Moore ever tried to organize a similar effort? It seems crazy to me that their schools weren't outfitted with shelters after the '99 tornado.I'm sure they will now

7 Children drowned at the bottom of Plaza Towers Elementary. Lance West is reporting another 20-30 are believed dead in the rubble.

Press conference by the City of Moore coming up within the hour.

www.safeandwell.org

To check on missing people, check yourself in as OK. This was set-up by the Red Cross.

7 Children drowned at the bottom of Plaza Towers Elementary. Lance West is reporting another 20-30 are believed dead in the rubble.

Press conference by the City of Moore coming up within the hour.

Is this confirmed? I am going to be sick if this true.

7 Children drowned at the bottom of Plaza Towers Elementary. Lance West is reporting another 20-30 are believed dead in the rubble.

Press conference by the City of Moore coming up within the hour.


So sad... words cannot express the grief Moore and the nation must be feeling.

7 Children drowned at the bottom of Plaza Towers Elementary. Lance West is reporting another 20-30 are believed dead in the rubble.

Press conference by the City of Moore coming up within the hour.

Oh my god.

Official briefing at 7:30. If you're not near a TV, it will be streamed live CBS News Live Video - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-201_162-730/cbs-news-live-video/?tag=custom)

Is this confirmed? I am going to be sick if this true.

Lance West has done remarkable reporting from the school. He said his sources have confirmed it is now Search & Recovery after several children were found drowned. They believe 20-30 are still under the rubble and presumed dead. Horrific, what can possibly be said?

Officials say the Draper Water Treatment Plant in Oklahoma City was knocked off line during the tornado.

The city is asking residents and businesses in southeast Oklahoma City to stop using water.

Anyone know how large of an area this encompasses?

The Orr Family Farm was almost completely destroyed. 75-100 horses died.

Their official website Orr Family Farm (http://www.orrfamilyfarm.com/) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OrrFamilyFarm

About The Orr Family Farm Oklahoma City's Orr Family Farm - Profile With Information on Exhibits, Admission, Events and More (http://okc.about.com/od/museumseducational/p/orrfamilyfarm.htm)

AP: BREAKING: State medical examiner's office: 37 killed in Oklahoma tornado; death toll expected to rise -RJJ

The official briefing is set to begin at any moment. It's streaming live now as they wait. CBS News Live Video - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-201_162-730/cbs-news-live-video/?tag=custom)

Medical Examiner confirms 7 of the fatalities are children from the school. They're still in Search & Recovery mode at Plaza Towers. They're thinking 26-30 children are still under the rubble.

Medical Examiner confirms 7 of the fatalities are children from the school. They're still in Search & Recovery mode at Plaza Towers. They're thinking 26-30 children are still under the rubble.

The guy reporting from the ground on channel 9 said up to 2000 deaths possible.

A couple years ago I spent Memorial Day weekend helping clean up Joplin and I'll be doing the same in Moore this year. My thoughts and prayers to all affected.

55 people are dead so far

The guy reporting from the ground on channel 9 said up to 2000 deaths possible.

I don't think be anywhere that high. Maybe around 200.

Still tragic though.

The guy reporting from the ground on channel 9 said up to 2000 deaths possible.

When will our State Legislature man up and enact some sound policy? It's not about government overreach, it's about taking care of our own.

I pray he made a mistake on that number but he was on the ground talking with officials. I also thought he might have meant to say 200 instead of up to 2,000.

Or more likely, 2,000 injuries.

It's not good when they're requesting assistance from surrounding areas for licensed, certified ME's.

Channel 9 is taking donations right now at Wilshire and Kelly

Wall to wall cable news coverage on CNN, MSNBC, FOX. Piers Morgan has never seen anything like it. He seems genuinely stunned at the devastation.

I fear this one is gonna be worst than anyone imagines. This tornado hit at a really bad time and not much warning like the 99 tornado. Mike Morgan said 3 times the area of damage of the 99 tornado. This is a very highly populated area it went through for most of it's life.

Bill Nye the Science Guy was just on Piers Morgan. He's asked a good question. With Sandy less than a year ago at an extreme and this monster storm, is this the future? Is this the new normal?

We have to find a way to get underground shelters in all schools

This is going to be the costliest disaster in national history. The path is the same, but there was two or three times as much development in its way this time. I watched the southside explode w new home building immediately after May 3rd. This time the rebuilding will be totally different. This is on a Katrina level.

My parents live at SW 134th and May and they just barely lucked out. We still have family members we are trying to hear from though. The worst is old people who don't know how to text...

7 Children drowned at the bottom of Plaza Towers Elementary. Lance West is reporting another 20-30 are believed dead in the rubble.

Press conference by the City of Moore coming up within the hour.

Where did all that water come from? From broken water pipes?

67 children now at the OU Trauma Center.

Channel 9 is taking donations right now at Wilshire and Kelly

Also, Wilshire Church of Christ, on Wilshire between Broadway and Kelly.

The Warren did receive some pretty good damage as well:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/164940_10151471208037993_896517620_n.jpg

The extent of the damage is starting to look incomprehensible:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/179162_10151471209947993_30084304_n.jpg

Destruction near Macapline and Ridgeway between 11th and 13th:

Aftermath of EF5 Moore Oklahoma Tornado - May 20th, 2013 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo8Zbp2vMpo&hd=1)

President Obama has made the official federal disaster declaration. So that should take care of most of the red tape to help folks. Source: AP

The Warren did receive some pretty good damage as well:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/164940_10151471208037993_896517620_n.jpg

They say they will reopen Friday. I think their being really optimistic. I doubt power will even be restore by then. Not to mention, it looked like they had a lot of roof damage.

They say they will reopen Friday. I think their being really optimistic. I doubt power will even be restore by then. Not to mention, it looked like they had a lot of roof damage.

Yeah I would think a week or two just because of delays in supplies. The roof damage didn't look too bad from the shots I saw, but lighting could have been bad too.

I am just really glad I didn't lose any family members, since almost all of my family is in the Moore/Westmoore area. But the tragic reality is that we might have lost some forum members here.

Start to think of the posters that you know hail from this area and let's try and keep track/check in with them.

q-kdL_UOwGo

I have never been a fan of Mary Fallin, but I have to say she gave a very heartfelt and comforting statement this afternoon. Thank you, Mary.

Just heard reports of looters. What a bunch of assholes!

Just heard reports of looters. What a bunch of assholes!

Shoot to kill imo. Okay that may be harsh. Lack of sleep does that. :-P