Killer Tornado hits OK city

[Fubar512]

They're calling this the largest tornado on record so far. It may have been 2 miles across at it's base. There are 51 known fatalities (so far), including possibly as many as two dozen children.

 

They are all in my thoughts and prayers.

 

 

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/05/20/meteorologist-worst-tornado-damage-in-the-history-of-the-world/

[macelena]

As allways in such tragic events, let´s hope the death toll stays as low as possible, and that the people harmed in one way or another gets to be as well as they can. It must have been terrifying. Specially sad for the kids in the school.

[+Dave]

Sheila's best friend from high school text-ed us pics of whats left of her home. The damage is unimaginable. Prayers to the people of Oklahoma.

[SayethWhaaaa]

I thought the one in 99 was bigger? This was an EF4, that one was a EF5 going by what's being said on the news here. Either way, devastation is still devastation and they got hit hard!

[JediMaster]

The F-size is an indicator of speed, not size. Many twisters have been a mile wide, but 2 is unheard of.

Hurricane Andrew was a Cat 5 hurricane, but it was only a couple of counties wide. Then you have some that are as big as a state but never go above Cat 2.

[+ST0RM]

And more storms building now as I type this. Down here in the SW corner of OK, we're watching the T-storms build around us with the threat of tornados. Thankfully, as the storms progress east they are moving past the OKC area.

 

As much as we need the rain in this area, I hate that it comes with such a huge pricetag.

 

-Jeff

[jeanba]

It seems that "only" 24 persons were killed, we thought around the hundred earlier this day

[MigBuster]

Looking at the pictures of total devastation its hard to imagine such a thing - and surprising there were not more casualties - really sad

 

Over here they mention a Tornado hitting a town and proceed to show a few roof tiles have been blown off! - nothing like that

[JediMaster]

The thing about "Tornado alley" isn't the frequency of the storms or anything, it's the power they hold. Florida gets I believe the 2nd most after OK (I found one database that has ~3450 twisters listed for OK and ~3100 for FL), but the power is far lower, with few ever reaching let alone breaking F2.

 

When they hit here, a few homes suffer some damage and on occasion someone is killed, but our homes are built to hurricane standards (CBS is standard for single floor homes, not wood) since you can't have a basement here.