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| Mile-wide tornado near Oklahoma City causes massive damage | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A devastating mile-wide tornado hit Oklahoma on Monday, flattening neigbourhoods and causing widespread fires in what experts said was one of the worst such storms in history. | A devastating mile-wide tornado hit Oklahoma on Monday, flattening neigbourhoods and causing widespread fires in what experts said was one of the worst such storms in history. |
| Television footage showed homes and buildings reduced to rubble in Moore, south of Oklahoma City. Pictures showed vehicles littering roadways elsewhere in the state. There was no immediate word on casualties. | Television footage showed homes and buildings reduced to rubble in Moore, south of Oklahoma City. Pictures showed vehicles littering roadways elsewhere in the state. There was no immediate word on casualties. |
| Authorities said that an elementary school in an Oklahoma City suburb took a direct hit from the tornado. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City police department said there is no word of injuries from Plaza Tower Elementary School in Moore, which was in the tornado's path. Knight said the school suffered "extensive damage" on Monday afternoon. | |
| Local reports suggest that 75 children and staff were in the school at the time, some of whom could still be trapped in the rubble, it is feared. KFOR reporter Lance West, who is on the scene, said he saw 30 children being pulled out alive. There was no word on injuries or fatalities. | |
| Damage to infrastructure and debris lying across roads made it more difficult for emergency services to get to badly hit areas. TV footage showed volunteers helping first-responders search rubble for survivors in Moore. | |
| Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Police Captain Dexter Nelson said downed power lines and open gas lines posed a risk in the aftermath of the tornado. | |
| It was the second day that tornadoes had hit the area. On Sunday, tornadoes and baseball-sized hail brought destruction to a mobile home park in Shawnee, a suburb of Oklahoma City. | It was the second day that tornadoes had hit the area. On Sunday, tornadoes and baseball-sized hail brought destruction to a mobile home park in Shawnee, a suburb of Oklahoma City. |
| By Monday afternoon, two people were known to have died as a result of the severe weather at the weekend – 79-year-old Glen Irish and 76-year-old Billy Hutchinson. | By Monday afternoon, two people were known to have died as a result of the severe weather at the weekend – 79-year-old Glen Irish and 76-year-old Billy Hutchinson. |
| Both were killed as tornadoes flattened homes in Shawnee. Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin declared an emergency in 16 counties as a result of severe weather and flooding. | Both were killed as tornadoes flattened homes in Shawnee. Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin declared an emergency in 16 counties as a result of severe weather and flooding. |
| Monday's tornadoes prompted fears that the death toll could rise. Television footage taken in the aftermath of a twister that ripped through Moore showed scenes of widespread damage and destruction. Cars, homes and even schools appeared to have been destroyed. Sporadic fires broke out in the aftermath of the storm and thousands of properties remained without power. | Monday's tornadoes prompted fears that the death toll could rise. Television footage taken in the aftermath of a twister that ripped through Moore showed scenes of widespread damage and destruction. Cars, homes and even schools appeared to have been destroyed. Sporadic fires broke out in the aftermath of the storm and thousands of properties remained without power. |
| Residents had been urged to stay inside and take shelter prior to Monday's twister hitting. Moore is a city that knows all too well the impact that tornadoes can have. | Residents had been urged to stay inside and take shelter prior to Monday's twister hitting. Moore is a city that knows all too well the impact that tornadoes can have. |
| It was in the way of a 1999 tornado that resulted in widespread destruction and resulted in the deaths of dozens of residents. On that occasion winds hit 302mph, registering F5 on the Fujita scale – the highest level. | It was in the way of a 1999 tornado that resulted in widespread destruction and resulted in the deaths of dozens of residents. On that occasion winds hit 302mph, registering F5 on the Fujita scale – the highest level. |
| Weather experts said the tornadoes might have been on a similar strength. Brian Edwards, meteorologist at Accuweather.com, told the Guardian: "From the images we are seeing, it looks like some structures have been completely levelled. It was definitely a high-ranking tornado. I wouldn't be surprised if it was EF4 or 5, which is the highest level." | Weather experts said the tornadoes might have been on a similar strength. Brian Edwards, meteorologist at Accuweather.com, told the Guardian: "From the images we are seeing, it looks like some structures have been completely levelled. It was definitely a high-ranking tornado. I wouldn't be surprised if it was EF4 or 5, which is the highest level." |
| Edwards added that the storm is likely to spread out across a large part of the Great Plains and midwest into Monday evening. | Edwards added that the storm is likely to spread out across a large part of the Great Plains and midwest into Monday evening. |
| "We are in for a long night. It is a very, very large area covered and a very large storm. Some of this storm will hit as far north as Chicago and Milwaukee." | "We are in for a long night. It is a very, very large area covered and a very large storm. Some of this storm will hit as far north as Chicago and Milwaukee." |
| "The night is far from over," he added. | "The night is far from over," he added. |
| The National Weather Service said Monday afternoon that an area covering population of almost 62 million was at risk of storms. | The National Weather Service said Monday afternoon that an area covering population of almost 62 million was at risk of storms. |
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