KFOR in Oklahoma City is reporting some terrifying news for the area: a tornado more than a mile wide is being reported moving toward the city Monday afternoon.
Tornado sirens going off in downtown OKC pic.twitter.com/FlIKctBJ60
— Al Roker (@alroker) May 20, 2013
WX UPDATE: SW 149th between Portland and May need to take your tornado precautions right now. This is a very large and powerful tornado.
— News 9 (@NEWS9) May 20, 2013
Tornado mile wide at Penn and Western, S. 19th St. Get LIVE STREAMING storm coverage on mobile phone: http://t.co/VSMPOWDpaY
— KFOR (@kfor) May 20, 2013
Mile and quarter wide tornado S. 16th St. to S. 166th St. Heaviest debris on 119th st.
— KFOR (@kfor) May 20, 2013
Tornado tracking East into neighborhoods again. Tornado may be 2 miles wide in Moore.
— KFOR (@kfor) May 20, 2013
Tornado on the ground in Newcastle, OK (pic: @DanielleDozier) pic.twitter.com/6GrjghuIz3
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) May 20, 2013
DEVELOPING: PICTURE: LARGE TORNADO DOING MAJOR DAMAGE NEAR MOORE, OK VIA @NEWS9 pic.twitter.com/WBfNCLjz6K
— Johnny Kelly (@stormchaser4850) May 20, 2013
This Oklahoma tornado picture looks like movie special effects – I hope all of you there are safe – @koconews pic.twitter.com/N52kjSnjWL
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) May 20, 2013
Horrifying news:
Storm chaser in OKC just said that he thinks he lost his house.
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) May 20, 2013
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Getting reports of kids trapped at Briarwood Elementary near OKC. 2nd tornado may be forming
— Al Roker (@alroker) May 20, 2013
CBS-TV Affiliate KWTV says Briarwood Elementary School in Moore, OK was damaged by the tornado. Extent of damage unclear.
— Charlie Kaye (@CharlieKayeNews) May 20, 2013
PHOTO: Massive tornado in I-44 area of Oklahoma City currently on the ground (KWTV/KDTV) pic.twitter.com/7ILm09hmBH
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) May 20, 2013
.@NEWS9 reporting the tornado struck Briarwood Elementary in Moore, and that kids may be trapped.
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) May 20, 2013
The sirens are going off again, looks like there is another development in the same area – #Okla Gov tells @jaketapper #CNN #Tornado
— Jennifer Hanks (@ScogginsHanks) May 20, 2013
TORNADO EMERGENCY: Tornado is moving about 25 MPH. Our chaser says he believes twister hit his house near 4th St in Moore.
— Katy Blakey (@KatyBlakeyNBC5) May 20, 2013
http://twitter.com/hboulware/statuses/336583618992406529
http://twitter.com/hboulware/statuses/336583780229857280
Shot of #Oklahoma #tornado from our sister station @kfor's helicopter a short time ago. pic.twitter.com/GhF96y60P5
— Jeremy Hubbard (@JeremyHubbard) May 20, 2013
It looks like the tornado in Oklahoma has dissipated, but before it did we grabbed this image from the live feed. pic.twitter.com/ju8uXXAk1O
— FOX 7 Austin (@fox7austin) May 20, 2013
@Chopper4Jon over Moore tornado damage. Homes leveled, Warren Theatre hit, trailer park gone. Devastation. http://t.co/XwIF9i0ZlT
— KFOR (@kfor) May 20, 2013
If this is not a mass-casualty event, I will be shocked. This is sobering and just absolutely sad. #OKwx #Tornado pic.twitter.com/AxgapIqujc
— Justin Fritts ☈ (@LiveDoppler) May 20, 2013
PHOTO: Massive destruction in Moore, Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/TfGlbz0swe
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) May 20, 2013
Moore Oklahoma is flattened….. I haven't seen anything like this since 1999 #news pic.twitter.com/VQNZCu9ZpH
— Mike Francis (@MikeFrancisWX) May 20, 2013
https://twitter.com/FOX4/status/336590127751127040/photo/1
The tornado has passed through Moore, Okla., and residents are currently emerging from shelters and surveying the rubble.
https://twitter.com/jordosbaloney/status/336588580820484097
KWTV showing some very upsetting footage. A woman impaled on debris, a mother and kids who emerged from their destroyed house. #OKC #tornado
— Dan ?????????????? (@swingdownbeat) May 20, 2013
#okwx #KWTV http://t.co/Po1YuSYeum is carefully avoiding live shots of people impaled by debris being rescued. More storms forming.
— Thomas Ray (@lazarusrang) May 20, 2013
https://twitter.com/lancewest/status/336473384936419328
Two schools — Briarwood Elementary and Plaza Tower Elementary — are reported to have been hit.
Plaza Tower School completely leveled. Same as May, 1999
— Babs *of the dregs* InFlyOverKzoo (@PeriwinkleDsgns) May 20, 2013
Image from about 40 minutes ago showing a school damaged in the #Tornado in Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/RAx5npxVJz
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) May 20, 2013
* * *
This ground-level view from the scene gives perhaps the clearest perspective of the situation yet.
Good lord: David Massey's post on Vine – https://t.co/RrYDSumNFX
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) May 20, 2013
* * *
Update:
The medical examiner reports in a 9 p.m. Eastern news conference that 51 have been confirmed killed in the tornadoes.
OK State Medical Examiner’s Office: 51 dead in the Oklahoma City area tornado tonight.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 21, 2013
Authorities expect tornado death toll to rise as emergency crews moved deeper into the hardest-hit areas: http://t.co/lxW4i5IJNG -RJJ
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 21, 2013
Nick Oxford is a freelance photojournalist on the scene in Moore, Okla.
Complete devastation in Moore Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/NTfR4pshPX
— Nick Oxford (@NickOxfordPhoto) May 21, 2013
Moore OK pic.twitter.com/WES6AzZuNZ
— Nick Oxford (@NickOxfordPhoto) May 21, 2013
Completely wiped out street in Moore pic.twitter.com/0lasKVsQqk
— Nick Oxford (@NickOxfordPhoto) May 21, 2013
Still searching pic.twitter.com/fxEzWJ1Xpz
— Nick Oxford (@NickOxfordPhoto) May 21, 2013
Update:
As of Tuesday morning, Oklahoma City officials put the death toll at 24, including seven children.
Twitchy will update this developing story as details are available.