BREAKING: Breyerwood Elementary has taken a direct hit. Reports of kids trapped.

[FourScore]

God help those babies please!

"Breyerwood Elementary School in Moore has taken a direct hit with "extensive damage," and students are trapped. The tornado is moving off beyond Moore now, towards Draper Lake and southeastern Oklahoma County."





TORNADO LIVEBLOG FROM WEATHERDUDE: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/20/1210482/-Tornado-Liveblog-Storms-Starting-To-Fire-Will-Quickly-Turn-Severe

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. ...and Plaza Towers Elementary.

[haele]

49. KFOR news reporters just heard from a gentleman who was getting

third graders out of a room in Plaza Towers where they were sheltering in place. Apparently some injuries (hopefully minor), reports are still sketchy.
Nothing on Briarwood, yet.

Haele

[uppityperson]

52. He kept breaking down, fast taking "got to go" and off and omg.

[curlyred]

56. that was my elementary school

many years ago. It was brand spanking new.

[maddezmom]

2. ...

Heartbreaking.

[bigdarryl]

3. Isn't Oklahoma one of the states wanting to cecede from the union

Lets see how quick they go running to the Federal Government for Aid

[Celldweller]

4. maybe bad timing for

a venomously partisan barb? I'm sure every on of those school children is a Tea Partier right?

[HappyMe]

5. Really?

This is what you have to say?

People may have died, lost everything and kids may be trapped.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Well that's wonderful.

Please consider Self-Delete.

I mean, seriously, seriously consider it.

As in self-delete that shit right now.

[Phentex]

8. This isn't the time

Don't be heartless. THESE children can't vote.

[uppityperson]

9. Kids are trapped in destroyed schools and THIS is your response? Shame on you. eom

[easttexaslefty]

10. Wow.

How nice. Not.

[winter is coming]

11. You lose this thread. Also, every other thread on DU.

[easttexaslefty]

26. What an idiotic thing to say.

You must be proud.

[KamaAina]

91. Besides. it was Texas that wanted to "cecede".

[maddezmom]

109. Not all Texans just nutty Perry Tea Bagger types

[KamaAina]

113. Of course not.

But the doofus troll didn't even have the right state.

[Posteritatis]

27. I think it's okay to get mad at you for treating the population as a political monolith. (nt)

[uppityperson]

33. So fuck the kids, right? So sick of posts like this

[wercal]

34. 'Cecede' is mispelled

There's a whole school full of kids trapped right now. I hope they are all ok.

[CBGLuthier]

36. actually chump we have never said anything about seceding. Learn to spell loser.

[dballance]

38. You're a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE person to even think to post this on a thread about trapped kids.

You deserve every bit of crap you're getting in response to your post. None of those states had anything like a majority of their citizens for secession. It was all the usual Tea Baggers and their politicians.

So we shouldn't penalize the rest of the state for the idiots in it? Yep, that makes sense.

[Texasgal]

39. Can you please go to another thread

and spout of your nonsense? It's not appropriate here in this thread.

[OKNancy]

43. I don't recall any big seceding talk actually, but even if some did...

you do know that there are many wonderful Dems in Oklahoma, including my family in Moore.. so fuck you asshole.

[sheshe2]

85. Oh OKNancy,

I hope your family is safe.

sheshe2

[OKNancy]

89. it was close but all are fine

My Mom and sister's family are there and OK. No electricity at my mother's place, but my sister is going to go get her when she can get out.
The traffic is terrible obviously. Thank goodness for cell phones and Facebook.

[maddezmom]

100. Good news, Nancy

[Ms. Toad]

102. Good to hear that they are physically OK.

Emotionally, financially, and time drain, I now will take longer.

[sheshe2]

112. Happy for you and your family, OKNancy~

[dgibby]

88. Nancy, hope your family is safe.

Positive vibes to you and them.

[Rex]

107. That was a horrible post, sorry you had to see that.

One of the worst posts I've seen on DU3. The guy is lucky this ain't my site - that would be an automatic ban imo.

[maddezmom]

15. Blech

[ProdigalJunkMail]

18. what a fucking stupid bullshit comment

way to go, bigdarryl... you win tool of the day...

sP

[Initech]

20. Fail

[zappaman]

21. Wow dude.

Just...wow.

[Crabby Appleton]

24. Shame on you

GFY

[CBGLuthier]

31. you are beneath contempt

leave fucking politics aside for a few hours can ya. We have people to help while you sit behind a computer making shitty remarks.

[dballance]

41. You're a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE person to even think to post this on a thread about trapped kids.

You deserve every bit of crap you're getting in response to your post. None of those states had anything like a majority of their citizens for secession. It was all the usual Tea Baggers and their politicians.

So we shouldn't penalize the rest of the state for the idiots in it? Yep, that makes sense.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

48. Secede, not "cecede" and your timing is impecable...

If your intention was to show how selfish and small minded some people - even sometimes those who vote for the Democratic candidate - can be, that is.

[Arcanetrance]

50. Dude seriously F. O. A. D

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

54. I believe their entire congressional delegation also voted against Sandy relief. n/t

[richmwill]

72. It's secede, stupid.

And aid has no reason to be capitalized. Your grammar is as severely lacking as your humanity.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

78. DU'ers voted to keep this post.

But voted to block a post calling him out. Shame on you. 75 children trapped in a school and mass devastation. Shame.

[Daniel537]

80. This place can be so revolting some times.

You have to be a really miserable loser to put something as pathetic as politics ahead of human lives.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

83. I certainly don't understand it.

Maybe we were raised better?

The reason for the alert was:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

You added the following comments:

Disgusting. Possible dead children, politics shouldn't matter.

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this post at Mon May 20, 2013, 05:12 PM, and voted 2-4 to keep it.

Thank you.

[FourScore]

117. This was my alert response:

At Mon May 20, 2013, 09:37 PM you sent an alert on the following post:

Isn't Oklahoma one of the states wanting to cecede from the union
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2872899

The reason for the alert was:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

You added the following comments:

INSENSITIVE! These are kids trapped (and some killed) by this devastating tornado. Horrible comment!

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this post at Mon May 20, 2013, 05:12 PM, and voted 2-4 to keep it.

Thank you.

[Rex]

86. I'm glad the post is still viewable.

Let people see what a total zombie he is. He is lucky this is not MY SITE, I would ban him for that comment.

[Ms. Toad]

103. I alerted again -

just to make sure the admins were aware and had the option to do just that.

[Rex]

106. Thank you Ms. Toad. It is one of the most inhuman posts I've seen

in a long time here on DU. I had to read it twice, just to make sure I was reading it right.

[Ms. Toad]

108. I couldn't believe it was left standing -

And not just 3-3, but 4-2. Unbelievable.

[curlyred]

90. these are kids we are talking about, you asshole

[KamaAina]

93. First off, it's Texas

second, it's "secede".

[Ms. Toad]

101. Your post is every bit as offensive

as the all too predictable comments that will soon show up from Westboro Baptist Church blaming every natural or manmade disaster on gays. (And I have been personally touched by those particular idiots and have relatives who live in red states whose lives have been destroyed by tornadoes so I have personal experience with both sides of this particular question.)

The only difference is that if the WBC folks showed up here their post would be hidden and they would be banned from DU. With you, apparently not.

I hope you'll consider self deleting - which I believe you can still do, even though there was at least one responsible jury on duty today so you now have a post hidden in this thread.

[Common Sense Party]

111. You have GOT to be kidding.

Timing, Darryl. Timing is everything.

There is a time and place for everything. This ain't the time.

[KingFlorez]

115. Indeed

The hypocrisy never fails and it should always be called out.

[xmas74]

116. You're tacky.

I hope someone does alert on this, that way there's even more attention to this nasty bit of business.

Now's not the time and you know it.

[cordelia]

118. You never cease to amaze with your callousness. n/t

[meow2u3]

7. I hope to God those children are all right

My prayers are for them.

[Texasgal]

12. FUCK!!!!

Please, I hope these kids will be alright. Shit.

[Arkana]

14. Jesus fuck.

We had a Cat 1 tornado a couple years ago in MA and it destroyed a bunch of towns in the southern part of the state. Be safe, folks in OK.

[redqueen]

16. Oh please... please let them be all right..

[Z_I_Peevey]

17. and again now near poor Shawnee again

[HappyMe]

19. They are trying to confirm if the kids

were in the school or not.

It appears that there is another very big tornado near Meeker(sp) right now. Over Jacktown right now.

[zappaman]

23. Awful

Just how many tornadoes have hit touched down?

[HappyMe]

29. This is the 2nd one today, as far as I know.

They just announced that the kids are all safe.

[zappaman]

30. "They just announced that the kids are all safe."

At least there is some good news!!!

[HappyMe]

35. Yup.

I'm glad the kids are okay.



Holy crap, now there's a decent sized fire going in the area that was just leveled.

[redwitch]

37. What a relief!

Hard to believe anyone in the path of this would survive. 300 mph wind?????

[Warren DeMontague]

45. GREAT News.

[deutsey]

94. So happy to hear this.

[winter is coming]

32. In Moore or in OKC? n/t

[HappyMe]

40. The first one was in Moore.

I think they said that this 2nd storm is part of the same system that leveled Moore. It traveled a bit away, regained strength and is by Meeker and Jacktown now. The weather guy just said that this kind of storm could produce tornadoes for a few hours.

[fishwax]

53. I just heard they had injuries at one of the elem schools, and

they "hoped" that was all that it was. I hadn't heard that kids are all safe yet ...

[HappyMe]

62. I have MSNBC on.

At the time, that's what they reported. Just now they are saying that there are kids trapped.

Then they said that most of the kids were being sheltered in one of the high schools, but there are a couple of high schools there.

[fishwax]

68. yeah, the one with kids trapped is an elementary school

the kids sheltered at the high school are okay.

That report from the elementary school was rough

[uppityperson]

55. KFOR reporter said he is pulling 3rd graders out of Plaza Towers elementary school so not all kids

are accounted for yet

[HappyMe]

65. Well, I'm sorry.

That's what they said at the time.

[uppityperson]

73. It is all unclear yet, am also typing what they say. No problems, either 45 or 75 left in the debris

of the school. A destroyed daycare, kids were removed prior so they are ok.

[Kali]

58. whew

I see the whole MIRT is here after that item in the in box heh, and good news - thanx

[uppityperson]

61. 75+ kids are still under the debris pile, trying to get them out, and teachers, it is awful

Plaza towers

[Lone_Star_Dem]

67. OMG. This is worse than I expected.

Those poor kids and their parents must be going insane with fear.

[uppityperson]

71. 30 kids been taken out, either 45 or 75 left, it is unclear, fluid, happening so typing as they repo

report it.

damn

[Lone_Star_Dem]

75. Since I can't stream and don't have access to a TV right now, this thread is greatly appreciated.

I know how reporting is at times like this, the effort here is what counts. Thank you!

[Yooperman]

63. I heard a few minutes ago that this storm system has

produced at least 26 tornadoes over several states so far with more to come.

[davsand]

28. Dunno if you are the praying type, but anything to help those kids right now would be good.

Vibe, Pray, Hope--cross your fingers if you will.

I've had the experience of trying to get to my kid in a storm damaged area, and this is beyond anything words can express.



Laura

[uppityperson]

42. Pulling kids out of destroyed Plaza Towers elementary school. The flattened one has kids init.

fuck

[Demo_Chris]

44. They are apparently now saying that children were in the schools. nt

[maddezmom]

46. The reporter on the science could barely talk

He said they were pulling out 3 rd graders from the school.

[Demo_Chris]

66. yeah

[davsand]

47. Local reporter at Bryerwood breaking down live in on air call in.

He says there are kids in the school and they are working to get them out now. Anchors in the studio are trying to calm him down and making sure viewers understand just how difficult it is to do this kind of coverage.


Laura

[LeftInTX]

51. No basement in one of the schools

Congressman Cole on CNN - lives in the neighborhood.

[uppityperson]

59. Do you know which one?

[LeftInTX]

64. No. I didn't catch it.

[uppityperson]

70. Plaza Elementary, 30 pulled out, either 75 left or 45 left in debris pile. Preliminary reports. fuck

http://kfor.com/on-air/live-streaming/

[Texasgal]

76. Twin..something Twin towers?

N/t

[HappyMe]

79. Plaza Towers School

[Texasgal]

60. Why????

How in the hell do you have a school in the middle of tornado alley with no storm shelter????

I just cannot imagine this... those poor kids!

[haele]

81. They probably built the building for an F-4 + tornado.

8 inch re enforced cinder block walls, bolted re-bar to support the roofing. Just like homes in Florida's hurricane alley are supposed to be built. If the bedrock is close to the surface, they might have weighed the cost of digging down deep and making a sufficient shelter for all the children and surrounding homes as opposed simply to building to withstand 200 mph winds.
Unfortunately, it appears as if this was an F5, 250 - 300 mph when it hit the school. And it's still early in the season.

Architecturally speaking, the school would probably have survived most if not all the tornadoes that had been measured at the time it was built.

But this is going to be the new normal, so states that are part of Tornado Central are going to have to think about making new building codes and retro-fitting buildings and shelters to handle annual F5+ tornadoes.

Haele

[ohheckyeah]

57. Why isn't it a requirement

to put a basement in a school in a tornado area? Let me guess....it's too expensive. Well, when you live in a high risk area, IMO, it's the responsibility of the government to see that the money is spent to make public schools and other buildings as safe as humanely possible.

It's a heartbreaking tragedy.

[Yooperman]

69. Agreed

If there were not shelters available for EVERYONE of those kids... I blame local authorities for not making it a requirement.

Hiding under a desk just doesn't cut it.

[ohheckyeah]

74. It's criminal.

I don't understand living in a high risk area for anything and not taking the proper precautions to mitigate the risk. It's not just tornadoes - it's also things like living in a flood area and not building the house on stilts. WTF? A school with no storm shelter is absolutely unacceptable in my mind.

[deutsey]

77. I was wondering that too

Especially after what happened in 1999 there.

[ohheckyeah]

87. We drove across the state of Oklahoma on Interstate 40

during that outbreak in May of 1999 as we were moving across the country. It was terrifying and we drove as fast as we could to get the hell out of the state. Arkansas never looked so good. When we stopped in Arkansas and turned on the news, areas we had recently gone through had been hit.

You couldn't pay me enough to live in an area prone to tornadoes. Hurricanes in Florida were bad enough but at least there is notice.

[deutsey]

92. Glad to hear you made it out safely then

I dodged the bullet from "superstorm" Sandy last year when it didn't make landfall on the Delmarva Peninsula in MD where I live.

[ohheckyeah]

96. Thanks and glad you made it, too.

I can't imagine living with the fear of the threat of tornadoes. We have been under a tornado watch where I live but it's unusual probably because of the mountains that surround us.

I understand that people get hurt by natural disasters all the time but it's so frustrating when some of the loss of life could be avoided with the proper precautions.

I lived through a hurricane in Key West because we didn't realize until too late that it was headed our way. We had company and were out fishing and sight seeing and not paying attention but it wasn't a major hurricane. It was still more than I want to deal with so any time a hurricane was headed my way in Florida or Virginia Beach, I left. Fortunately, I could afford to leave and had places to go. It disturbs me that many people can't afford to leave or don't have proper shelters available to them.

[riderinthestorm]

95. Or a mandatory early evacuation policy? Our school district does...

once the storm front looks imminent the kids are released home since our school doesn't have a basement either.

Of course we're @ 20 miles from Plainfield IL where another big tornado flattened the high school in 1990 with kids still inside.

[ohheckyeah]

97. What a tragedy.

I guess it's human nature to think it can't happen to me.

[laundry_queen]

104. Didn't they do that a couple of years ago

When they had that outbreak in Alabama and Mississippi? It was forecasted so they sent all the kids home at noon? I wish they would've done that here, as everything was forecasted in advance.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

82. Local KFOR is saying up to 15 children and staff members are trapped under rubble

Oklahoma's local TV station KFOR is reporting that up to 15 children and staff members are trapped under an elementary school that has been directly hit by the massive tornado sweeping the area at the moment.

Per ITV:
http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-05-20/report-children-trapped-under-oklahoma-school/

If someone can get this stream to work they may have updates. I can't stream until I get home.
http://kfor.com/on-air/live-streaming/

[hrmjustin]

84. 30 pulled out at this time.

[RebelOne]

98. According to MSNBC, there are 3rd graders trapped in the debris. n/t

[Marrah_G]

99. Heard the Nat Guard is arrivng

Hopefully they can get people out alive.

[DesertFlower]

105. sending thoughts and prayers.

[Liberal In Texas]

110. TV reporter on KFOR

said she and her crew helped pull out 4 bodies including a baby from store collapse debris.

This is truly awful.

Live coverage: http://kfor.com/on-air/live-streaming/

[AverageJoe90]

114. This is seriously awful.

I just hope nobody actually died at that school today.....I just feel awful for you guys up in OKC.

Hope everybody's alright in the Sooner State tonight.