Are the OK city people ok?

[karmasabiotch]

A large tornado has been reported.

[silva]

My uncle left this morning to move back to our hometown from OK! I'm really freaked out for him.

update/eta: phew, I just saw his FB post saying he's now in MO!

[karmasabiotch]

The damage is awful. I hope everyone is safe.

[silva]

I just can't imagine.

[underwaterrhymes]

Oh my god. This is terrible.

[christy082]

This is so sad, omg. 

[sawyerthedestroyer]

This is so bad. OMG.

[underwaterrhymes]

Two schools, you guys.

[Deleted]

[snickers]

That's terrible.

[christy082]

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, the live feed of religious/political comments with the live video feed are pissing me off. Just what the people trying to find out information about their loved ones need to see. 

[MrsAxilla]

May 20, 2013 15:59:23 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Two schools, you guys.

Was school in session?  What time did this happen?

[pixy0stix]

May 20, 2013 16:07:07 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

May 20, 2013 15:59:23 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Two schools, you guys.

Was school in session?  What time did this happen?

Both schools were on lockdown with the kids inside. The feed showed kids running around the school afterward hugging each other.

[Kristinmo]

Oh my God.  Look at this.

[pixy0stix]

May 20, 2013 16:13:56 GMT -5 killercupcake said:

I realize that this is probably a stupid question, but I grew up where we didn't have weather like this...

Do the schools have underground shelters or do you just shelter in place?

Most schools have areas that are designated as tornado shelters and are designed to withstand a tornado. My school in NE the lunchroom in the elementary school, and the locker rooms in the high school were shelters.

[Kristinmo]

May 20, 2013 16:13:56 GMT -5 killercupcake said:

I realize that this is probably a stupid question, but I grew up where we didn't have weather like this...

Do the schools have underground shelters or do you just shelter in place?

It depends.  In my elementary school there was a basement where the pipes, furnace, etc were.  In my middle school and high school we just went to interior rooms.

[Deleted]

Did they really just say largest tornado in the history of the WORLD?!!? OMG!

[karmasabiotch]

May 20, 2013 16:18:40 GMT -5 @wonderred said:

Did they really just say largest tornado in the history of the WORLD?!!? OMG!

Seriously?

[Deleted]

May 20, 2013 16:22:25 GMT -5 karmasabiotch said:

May 20, 2013 16:18:40 GMT -5 @wonderred said:

Did they really just say largest tornado in the history of the WORLD?!!? OMG!

Seriously?

I had the link to the local live streaming on (just turned on CNN instead).  They were guesstimating this based on the damage they can already see and comparing it to the previous largest one.   Freaking scary!

[karmasabiotch]

I'm going to change my OP.  It sounds insensitive.

[sookiestjames]

In OKC. The devastation is unreal. We've been in shelters all day. My sister in law's house was leveled in yesterday's storms and now this today. Prayers for all Oklahomans.

[pixy0stix]

Hang on, news is all over the place regarding the schools. One definitely had kids, they showed them outside. The other one they don't know. Apparently the schools let out at different times, so they're having a hard time confirming if the schools both were on lockdown.

ETA: Back to saying both were on lockdown to be released after the storm. There was an email sent out to the parents saying this.

[Deleted]

May 20, 2013 16:13:56 GMT -5 killercupcake said:

I realize that this is probably a stupid question, but I grew up where we didn't have weather like this...

Do the schools have underground shelters or do you just shelter in place?

Yes. Older schools generally have a basement, boiler room or the like and newer schools have interior rooms. Drills are frequent and the kids would have known where to go/what to do.

[sawyerthedestroyer]

This is so, so horrible.

These storms are going to be in my neck of the woods later this evening.

[Deleted]

And, like pixie said, if the sirens go off within however many minutes (or an hour) of school releasing the students will be kept there until the danger is passed.

This happened to me many times growing up.

[Deleted]

We are safe for now. Two different systems headed my way now. One should hit around 5 and another one a couple of hours later. I watched the Moore tornado live on TV. It is absolutely terrifying. Moore was completely wiped out before on May 3, 1999.

I am heartbroken.
Sent from my Motorola Electrify using ProBoards

[pursemeatballs]

I was just listening to the live feed and now I have tears. The reporter was crying when he was at the school site.

[Deleted]

Not to be insensitive to the people, because clearly they are what is most important, but I am bawling over the horse farm.

[feistypants]

Prayers for all of OKC right now. Stay safe.

[Deleted]

May 20, 2013 16:43:46 GMT -5 @wonderred said:

Not to be insensitive to the people, because clearly they are what is most important, but I am bawling over the horse farm.

This is what always gets to me for some reason.