Five‚ including mother‚ baby killed in Oklahoma tornadoes

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

"Five twisters had struck the area around Oklahoma City‚ with 145 km per hour winds "

CHICAGO: Tornadoes killed at least five people and wreaked massive damage yesterday in Oklahoma near the battered city of Moore, still recovering from a monster twister less than two weeks

ago.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death toll. But the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed a mother and child were killed as they travelled in their car near Oklahoma City. At least 12 people were injured in the storm. The number is expected to rise. Media reports, citing local hospitals, put the injury toll at 39 or even higher, but officials said it would take time to get an accurate count. “We will have to wait for flood waters to recede before we can assess damage,” spokeswoman Keli Cain said, adding that if the rain continued, that could take several days.

Several people were hurt in crashes and overturned vehicles, including semi-trailers and trailers, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman Betsy Randolph told NBC television affiliate KFOR.

While storms continued to pass through the state, Cain said, “they’re much less severe.” However, “there’s still a lot of flooding in areas,” she said, warning residents to stay off roads and avoid high water.

Weather forecasters lifted an emergency for parts of the tornado-prone midwestern state, though flash flood warnings, severe thunderstorm watches and tornado watches remained in place. Photos showed streets looking like rivers, with stranded cars submerged in water as high as their door handles in some places.

National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma warned the severe weather was shifting eastward today, with the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys set to receive the bulk of the storms.

“Large hail, damaging winds and isolated strong tornadoes are all possible,” the weather centre said on its website.

In Missouri, which borders the Mississippi River, Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency yesterday night, urging “Missourians to closely monitor weather conditions, so they can take shelter or move to higher ground if needed.”

Reports said five twisters had struck the area around Oklahoma City, with winds of up to 145 kilometres per hour, accompanied by very large hail. Flash floods also hit the area, the Tulsa World newspaper said.

One large tornado touched down west of Oklahoma City, the state’s biggest city, news reports said.

KFOR TV reported extensive damage around the cities of El Reno and Yukon. More than 170,000 people were said to have lost power in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Officials for Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport said on Twitter that passengers had been evacuated to an underground tunnel and that flights in and out had been suspended.