School flattened by massive twister, children dead in Oklahoma City suburb.

[Recluse]

This is bad, folks. We've been monitoring this frontal system all day long and watching it build from an occluded front. A tornado, believed to be even bigger than the one in 1999 that decimated Moore, Oklahoma hit the suburb a few hours ago.

CBS News: Monstrous Tornado hits Oklahoma City suburb, death toll continues to rise. (http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/05/20/meteorologist-worst-tornado-damage-in-the-history-of-the-world/)

We've got forum members and family in this area. Pray for them. Pray for everyone whose lives have been turned upside down and inside out by this storm.

We'll be cranking up and flying up there tomorrow to pitch a hand in relief efforts.

What can you do? Do the following:

• Donate blood, especially if you have O-. There are lots of casualties and blood is the first thing that hospitals run short on.

• Donate money to the local area relief efforts. Doesn't matter if you hate Paypal, there is a time for politics and there is a time for compassion. Now is the time for the latter. Even if it's just a few bucks, every penny will help.

• Clothing, bedding, toys, books. . . People up there have lost everything and will be staying shelters and with friends and family members. They'll need clothes and bedding, toys and books and crayons and the such will help parents give the young kids something to pass the time with.

• Baby formula and diapers. Call your local Walgreens or CVS or Walmart and ask to purchase gift cards or purchase baby supplies to be "interstored" to OKC area stores. They'll do it, gladly. This also applies to first aid supplies, canned food for the food banks, etc.

And above all, pray for these people. This is twice in fourteen years they've seen their town wiped out.

:coffee:

[max range]

Prayers and best wishes go out to the victims of the storm. A terrible loss.

[popper]

3rd time for Moore. About like Jarrel. Bag up all the stuff that doesn't fit after the dentist tomorrow. That & a check to SA. Fortunately there are places for them to stay in OKC.

[koehn,jim]

Guys the thoughts are great but they don't want stuff they need cash. If you listen to the Red Cross they don't have the facilities for donations, most people donate junk any way. Than they have to try and get it there. I have worked disasters and money is a lot more pratical..In a week or two donate to a church that can ship the stuff or deliver it. Right now they need money for food and a place to stay. recluse is correct about they are going to need blood.

[smoked turkey]

Convoy of Hope is on the way with some relief effort. Their boots on the ground effort really helps meet people's immediate needs. I think a donation to them is a very good thing to do. They have a good track record and are constantly involved in relief efforts somewhere. At least that is where we plan to do what we can.

[fatelk]

I'm out of town right now taking safety training, and two of the guys in the class are from Moore. We've all been following it pretty closely with them all day. It's a bad one.

[wallenba]

Devastating, heartbreaking news. I will be calling the Red Cross to donate. We must start looking at ways to build less vulnerable structures, tornadoes will always occur in that region. Perhaps whole neighborhoods with homes bermed into the landscape, so that twisters pass over smoothly. We can't prevent fierce deadly weather, but we should be able to withstand it with some extra engineering.

[Multigunner]

Its a very sad day. I was hoping they'd find all the kids safe hiding out in a basement.
At least twenty kids dead along with thirty or more adults.

[Bullfrog]

My thoughts, heart, hope, and prayer is with those folks. I have not heard from a friend yet.

[6bg6ga]

My heart goes out to these families. Maybe now there will be some legislation that will make it manditory that schools have tornado rooms that will save lives.

[41 mag fan]

Already started helping once I seen the devastation. Thanks Recluse for your post!

[44man]

I don't have much to say. Hurts me. I will pray. Mother Nature is harsh and can't be beat.

[JeffinNZ]

Heart breaking and given what we went through 2 years ago I can relate. Which is the best organisation to donate to please?

[Recluse]

Severe weather grounded us today, but no matter. A friend who is a fireman with the OKC FD advised us to stay home and stay away as they are closing down the area. He also pointed out that one 18-wheeler driven just fifteen miles from Oklahoma City could carry more supplies and do so faster than a whole fleet of small airplanes.

Just had a wave of storms move through again, from south of us here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to north of the Oklahoma City area. No tornadoes, but lots of bad wind, some hail and more rain. It's going to be a long week.

:coffee:

[daniel lawecki]

In the small town of Waterville Ohio there is ISHO/Impact they will take donations on line. After work this week I will drop off something to help out google them they always there to help someone.

[Circuit Rider]

Not 5 minutes after the tornado hit, some IDIOT politician from R.I.( a Democrap) was blaming global warming and all the polluters, and referring to the folks that lived in Oklahoma as part of the problem. Brother, nephew and their families were in the fraidy hole when a cell went over Pauls Valley about 6 pm Monday evening. Glenn Beck and some of his crew took 2 tractor trailers full of food and equipment in last night. CR

[CATTLEMAN]

If you can help them please do ... there has been a lot of devastation. We were lucky, unharmed and the house had only very minor damage. I am up tonight emptying the storm shelter of everything we crammed inside it in case we were not so lucky.

I had a lot of time and nervous energy to use up thinking about storms while sitting in the shelter and had an idea. Obummer and Fienstine should stop all this senseless violence and suffering by banning any storms holding more than 10 mph winds, prohibiting the new manufacture of storms, requiring the registration of all existing storms and eventually confiscating all existing storms.

On a more serious note, my prayers are with all those suffering today.

[madsenshooter]

Just heard from a friend of mine, a retired AF Lt Col, who works at Tinker. Glad to hear it missed him by about 3 miles, though his truck got damaged by large hail.

[blackthorn]

If you can help them please do ... there has been a lot of devastation. We were lucky, unharmed and the house had only very minor damage. I am up tonight emptying the storm shelter of everything we crammed inside it in case we were not so lucky.

I had a lot of time and nervous energy to use up thinking about storms while sitting in the shelter and had an idea. Obummer and Fienstine should stop all this senseless violence and suffering by banning any storms holding more than 10 mph winds, prohibiting the new manufacture of storms, requiring the registration of all existing storms and eventually confiscating all existing storms.

On a more serious note, my prayers are with all those suffering today.

Obummer and Fienstine should take the money they waste trying to turn your country into a dictatership and put it toward providing shelters in critical areas etc.!

[AKtinman]

I'm not a Baptist, but I saw first-hand how these folks help out ANYONE in need during a disaster:

http://www.okdisasterhelp.com/2013/05/oklahoma-baptist-volunteers-helping-in-moore-okla/

One thing I respect about them is that 100 percent of what is donated goes to helping folk out.

I sent out a check this morning. That's about all a old retired guy in Minnesota can do to help out, besides offer up some prayers.

BTW, the Salvation Army is another straight-up outfit for helping out during a disaster.

Maybe I'm preaching to the choir here ;)

[JeffinNZ]

USD on it's way to the good folk at BGCO.