A mile-wide tornado struck southwest Oklahoma City and Moore, Oklahoma,
this afternoon:
The massive tornado first touched down in Newcastle and churned toward Interstate 44 and S.W. 149th Street. It ripped down Santa Fe and hit Briarwood Elementary School, destroying the building. Parents ran to the school, trying to make sure their children were all right. Firefighters and police are also on scene, trying to rescue trapped students and staff.
The tornado left behind incredible destruction. It wiped out entire neighborhoods, leaving behind piles of debris.
Emergency crews are busy searching through debris and helping survivors out of their leveled homes. Meanwhile, the tornado is still moving through eastern Oklahoma. News9 in Oklahoma City has a
live feed and they are actively following the tornado. As of 4:30 CT, the tornado is on the ground, headed directly towards Meeker, Oklahoma.
Sadly, this isn't the first time Moore, Oklahoma, has been hit by a tornado. It was devastated by one of the most destructive tornadoes ever recorded on May 3, 1999:
On May 3, 1999, an unusual confluence of atmospheric conditions in Oklahoma spawned dozens of tornadoes that swept across the state in an hours-long parade of destruction. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, and 19 counties became disaster areas.
The worst toll was in human lives: 44 dead, including three children. Hundreds more were injured.
To learn more about the storm or follow the live discussion, weatherdude has an informative liveblog
here.