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Killer tornado smashed 1,200 homes: US officials

Agence France-PresseMay 23, 2013 16:46
Monday's tornado in this Oklahoma City suburb damaged or destroyed 1,200 homes and affected 33,000 people, officials said Thursday. Updating figures from one of the worst US tornados in recent years, they said the death toll from the powerful twister -- which struck with little notice in mid-afternoon -- remains at 24, with 377 injured. "We hope and pray that those numbers will hold steady and not go up," said Governor Mary Fallin at a press conference in Moore city hall alongside law enforcement, disaster relief and other officials.

Tornado-hit US city, amid storms, mourns and rebuilds

Agence France-PresseMay 23, 2013 12:30
Relief workers and clean-up crews defied thunderstorms Thursday while families and friends gathered for the funeral of one of the Oklahoma tornado's youngest victims. Heavy rain and lightning at dawn threatened to upset Moore's long trail back to normality, with police at one point closing flash-flooded streets in the residential city of 56,000 struggling to get back on its feet.

US tornado survivors begin rebuilding their lives

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 12:46
Survivors of the killer tornado that ripped through this Oklahoma City suburb rolled up their sleeves Wednesday under a blazing sun and got down to the long, hard task of rebuilding their lives. Local authorities in Moore deemed it safe for everyone who lived within the 17-mile (27-kilometer) long disaster zone to return to their homes, or what little remained of their homes, to collect whatever belongings they could.

Boundless destruction as US tornado rescue winds down

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 06:30
As rescue efforts in Oklahoma wound down Wednesday, residents turned to the daunting task of rebuilding a US heartland community shattered by a vast tornado that killed at least 24 people. Officials said most bodies had been recovered from the sprawling moonscape that was once an Oklahoma City suburb, where the tornado steamrolled entire neighborhoods and two schools. Nine children were among those killed.

Tornado threat continues, including Dallas-Fort Worth area

May 21, 2013 11:17
By Greg McCune CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tornadoes could form across a wide area of the southern Plains and into the U.S. southeast again on Tuesday, including metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, the most populous urban area in the threatened area, a government meteorologist said. "There could be a few more tornadoes again, particularly in northern and central Texas," said Brynn Kerr, meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

Rescuers dig for life after US tornado kills dozens

Agence France-PresseMay 21, 2013 10:30
US rescue teams scoured a shattered suburb for survivors Tuesday after a tornado tore through the outskirts of Oklahoma City, causing chaos and leaving dozens dead, including children. State medical examiner's office spokeswoman Amy Elliott said 24 victims had been confirmed dead. Earlier reports had cited higher tolls, and the number is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.

Rescuers dig for life after US tornado kills dozens

Agence France-PresseMay 21, 2013 07:16
Rescuers searched for survivors Tuesday after a massive tornado tore through a suburb in the US state of Oklahoma, destroying two schools and killing up to 91 people, including 20 children. US President Barack Obama declared a "major disaster" as rescuers combed through smashed homes and the collapsed remains of an elementary school in Moore, where even residents with long memories of past twisters were shocked by the devastation.

Death toll rises to at least 51 in Oklahoma tornado : state agency

May 21, 2013 02:15
(Reuters) - The death toll from a huge tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma on Monday rose to 51, the state medical examiner's office said. Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead, up from 37 fatalities reported earlier. The powerful tornado, rated the second highest strength level of EF4 and packing winds of up to 200 miles per hour, touched down at midafternoon and devastated a wide area of the town.

Dozens dead as massive tornado strikes US city

Agence France-PresseMay 21, 2013 01:30
A powerful tornado swept through an Oklahoma City suburb on Monday, tearing down blocks of homes, two schools and leaving at least 51 people dead, including 20 children, local officials said. The state medical examiner's office released the latest death toll but the number was climbing rapidly, as emergency crews combed through smashed homes and the collapsed remains of an elementary school in Moore, Oklahoma.

Rescuers search Oklahoma tornado town ruins as recovery starts

May 20, 2013 22:16
By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue workers with sniffer dogs picked through the ruins of an Oklahoma town on Wednesday to ensure no survivors remained buried after a deadly tornado left thousands homeless and trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. "Yesterday I was numb. Today I cried a lot. Now I'm on the victory side of it," said Beth Vrooman, who hid in a shelter in her garage during Monday's storm in Moore, Oklahoma.
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