‘In Chaos Mode’: Five Killed as Dozens of Tornadoes Batter Midwest
- Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:01am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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A twister moves on the ground north of Soloman, Kan., Saturday, April 14, 2012. (AP)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A violent storm system unleashed dozens of tornadoes across the Midwest and Plains, leaving five people dead and at least 29 injured in Oklahoma Sunday morning. As the weather gripped the region, twisters or high winds damaged a hospital, homes and cut power to hundreds of thousands, and forecasters warned more storms were possible before the day was over.
Oklahoma emergency officials said five people died after a tornado touched down at 12:18 a.m. Sunday in and around the northwest Oklahoma town of Woodward, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The brunt of the damage was reported on the west side of the town of about 12,000 and its outskirts. Search teams were scouring rubble for trapped and injured as the sun came up.
“They’re still going door to door and in some cases there are piles of rubble and they are having to sift through the rubble,” said Michelann Ooten, an Oklahoma emergency management official.
AP
The storms were part of an exceptionally strong system that the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., which specializes in tornado forecasting, had warned about for days. The center took the unusual step of warning people more than 24 hours in advance of a possible “high-end, life-threatening event.” Forecasters had worried the storms would hit overnight, when people are less likely to hear warning sirens and pay attention to weather reports.
At the storm’s height, tornadoes popped up faster than they could be tallied. The center’s spokesman, Chris Vaccaro, said the weather service had received at least 97 reports of tornadoes by dawn Sunday.
He warned the threat wasn‘t over for those across several states in the nation’s interior. Forecasters predicted the possibility for storms Sunday in a swath that stretched from southern Texas to northern Michigan.
AP
AP
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The outbreak began when tornado sirens went off before dawn in Oklahoma City on Saturday. As the wide-ranging storm system lumbered across the nation, storms also were reported in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. Lightning, large hail and heavy downpours accompanied the system.
Woodward Mayor Roscoe Hill said warning sirens sounded loudly on Saturday afternoon when storms rumbled through but he didn‘t hear the sirens go off for Sunday’s tornado. He said the tornado struck a mixed area of residences and businesses and possibly damaged a mobile home park.
“We had a little tornado earlier … and they blew all the sirens. When this one came in, our sirens weren’t working,” Hill said. But he later said in televised reports that some reported hearing sirens closer to the tornado‘s track though he didn’t from his home about 10 blocks away.
The American Red Cross summoned volunteers to drive relief trucks from Oklahoma City to aid the rescue crews in and around Woodward he said were pressed to the limit by the immediate disaster response.
“They’re in chaos mode,” said Rusty Surette, a regional communications director for the American Red Cross in Oklahoma City, speaking of authorities in Woodward.
He said trucks with cots, food, water and medical and hygiene supplies would head to the area, where a shelter was established in a church for those rendered homeless. More than 8,000 people were without power.
Dave Wallace, chief executive officer of Woodward Regional Hospital, said 29 people, five of them in critical condition, were brought to the hospital for treatment of injuries ranging fractures and serious injuries to cuts and bruises. Three patients have been transferred to other hospitals and four were admitted, he added.
“We transferred them to a hospital with a higher level of care,” Wallace said. “We’re not a trauma center.”
At least 10 tornadoes were reported in Kansas, mostly in rural parts of the western and central sections of the state. A reported tornado in Wichita that struck late Saturday night caused damage at McConnell Air Force Base and the Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing plants. A mobile home park was heavily damaged in the city, although no injuries or deaths were reported.
The county where Wichita is located was declared a state of disaster and said preliminary estimates suggest damages could be as high as $283 million.
Yvonne Tucker rushed to a shelter with about 60 of her neighbors at Pinaire Mobile Home Park. She said people were crying and screaming, and the shelter’s lights went out when the twister hit. When they came back outside, they found several homes destroyed, including Tucker’s.
“I didn’t think it was that bad until I walked down my street and everything is gone,” said Tucker, 49. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go. I’ve seen it on TV, but when it happens to you it is unreal.
“I just feel lost.”
Iowa emergency officials said a large part of the town of Thurman in the western part of the state was destroyed Saturday night, possibly by a tornado, but no one was injured or killed. Fremont County Emergency Management Director Mike Crecelius said about 75 percent of the 250-person town was destroyed. Some residents took refuge at the City Hall.
A hospital in Creston, about 75 miles southwest of Des Moines, suffered roof damage and had some of its windows blown out by the storm, but patients and staff were not hurt. Medical center officials were calling other area hospitals to determine how many beds they had available in case they needed to move patients.
In Nebraska, baseball-sized hail shattered windows and tore siding from houses in and around Petersburg, about 140 miles northwest of Omaha. In southeast Nebraska, an apparent tornado took down barns, large trees and some small rural structures.
Kristin Dean, who was among the Wichita mobile home taking shelter from the storm, said she was shaking as she was being pushed from home in her wheelchair. She was able to grab a bag of her possessions before going into the shelter and that was all she had left. Her home was gone.
“It got still,” the 37-year-old woman, who’s in a wheelchair after hurting her leg a month ago, recalled of the scene inside the shelter. “Then we heard a wham, things flying. Everybody screamed, huddling together.
“It is devastating, but you know, we are alive.”
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Cleigh
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 1:34amI can’t believe the cruelty of people. I read the article on CNN’s site about the Woodward tornado. The atheists and liberals are in fine form over there right now. The comments are so hateful about the grandfather who was thankful and felt “blessed” to have his family alive. They’re tearing him to shreds because of his accent and belief in God. I’ve lived in Oklahoma all of my life…except for 4 long liberal years in Oregon. It’s heartbreaking to know that people have cold hearts when people have suffered a tragedy. They need positive comments over there from the Blaze audience.
Report Post »jjohnson_n_oklahoma
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:13pmSo grateful to all of the forecasters that got the word out to the people here in Oklahoma. Sad for the loss of life, but thankful that the storms stayed to the north and west of where my family lives. May God grant strength to the hurting, and may His peace be upon them. This is why I hate living in Tornado alley.
Report Post »KwikKarl
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:46pmHelp our veterans with TeamRubicon continue serving this great Country – Donate if you can http://teamrubiconusa.org/
http://www.facebook.com/teamrubicon
Team Rubicon – Region 7
Team Wichita is currently assisting in the delivery of food and water, as well as supporting the Salvation Army to gain access to the harder hit areas. In many locations Team Rubicon is sole provider of support in the form of debris clearance, safety assessments, volunteer organization and food and water aid delivery. TR VII
After completing an insane amount of work, debris clearing, food & water drops to harder hit areas, setting up VOAD and completing searches…we are wrapping up the Wichita Operations. The area is in very capable hands and a visible difference was made by all volunteer organizations.
Region VII is moving all operations to Thurman Iowa. This area was severely damaged and will be loosing most of their help once the regular work week begins. http://www.omaha.com/article/20120415/NEWS01/704159877/1658
Report Post »Teabunny
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:26pmnineveh? (and what about Noah???) no, God always gives a warning. (to those he loves)
Report Post »Teabunny
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:28pmsorry…was a reply to tim …first comment posted (he says satan gives a warning…God does not…not true!)
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 7:41pm…
Report Post »May God comfort and bless all the tornado victims.
KangarooJack
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 7:09pmPrayers for all in the Region.
On a personal note….REALLY grateful I bought a generator for my family this year. It was a toss up-tornado/snowstorm and/or riots.
Report Post »SAY_NO_TO_DOWNTOWN_LOFTS
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 6:07pmThe tornado in Joplin, MO last year was God’s punishment for that city turning old downtown buildings into “loft apartments” for downtown-city-dweller wannabes. Let’s pray that a tornado will wipe out off of those “downtown lofts” all across America
Report Post »OKC08GT500
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:40pmYou forgot the sarcasm tag; otherwise, you need to seek immediate help from a mental health professional. Or you could go back on your meds.
Report Post »Bluesube
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 8:07amNot sure why you hate lofts so much?? A small business owner downtown that got shut down and lofts opened????
Report Post »midnightvelvet
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 4:41pmIt was a great thing that those in the trailer park had a shelter to go to. I hope more trailer parks build them after this.
Report Post »steveh931
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 3:21pmMay the Lord be with all during these trying times.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 3:00pmSo far so good in Wichita…no deaths to report, lots of trees and powerlines down
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 3:08pmI think the most definitive scene to date in Kansas, is seeing the powerlines down around the gas station not far from here. With all the talk about God not existing, that entire block is blessed nothing touched off and sparked a blaze…Even after shutting down the pumps, there’s always residual and fumes to consider.
Report Post »Jennifer_D
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:12pmRe: At the storm’s height, tornadoes popped up faster than they could be tallied. The center’s spokesman, Chris Vaccaro, said the weather service had received at least 97 reports of tornadoes by dawn Sunday.
Isn’t there a song about living in the danger zone?! It is definitely chaotic when tornadoes are popping up left and right. The worst thing is getting play-by-plays and all you can do is prepare for the chance you’ll be hit. God bless the responders and those who lost family.
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:08pmProverbs 30:4 “Who … hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?”
Report Post »God is in control we are in a battle between evil and good. And God is the Lord of all.
qpwillie
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:33pmHis name is Yahweh and his son’s name is Yahshua. Most people these days think his name is “God” or “the Lord” and they think his son’s name is “Jesus (Ghe Zeus)”.
There is a very important reason why Solomon asked that question.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 1:49pmThankfully so many were safe. May God comfort those who are injured and/or lost loved ones, human and animal.
Report Post »emgis
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:48pmThankful that so many did their jobs to keep people safe. The National Weather Service, local media, emergency managers, community volunteers, and so many others really saved lives yesterday!!! I’ve put together a map showing damage reports, and likely paths of the storms at
Report Post »http://disastermapping.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/radar-derived-storm-paths-from-the-4142012-tornado-outbreak. To all those impacted directly – our prayers are with you as you rebuild your communities stronger than ever before – and may the rest of us see that your lives and spirit show what community really means!
Magyar
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:32pmCome on now—back off of Tim!!! He’s as much a Christian as OWEbama is! Both are perfect contradictions to the LORD!
Report Post »momrules
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:27pmSuch destruction from an unstoppable force. Going through a tornado must be one of the most frightening things imaginable.
My prayers are with the survivors and the ones who lost family members and friends.
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:26pmWow! Unbelievable.120 tornadoes?
Take precautions everyone because they are saying it’s not over yet!
Report Post »pwatkins
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:06pmMay God be with all victims of these raging storms.
Report Post »David in OKC
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:05pmPrayers go out to those affected in Newcastle, Mustang, Norman, Shawnee and all the rural towns around the Woodward area. It’s been a crazy weekend. Can’t wait for the spring season to be over.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:04pmI can‘t imagine having to dodge almost 100 tornado’s. My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones. We have tornado’s on occasion here in Colorado, but nowhere near what Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa etc experience.
They are fascinating to watch and to form, but the destruction can be mighty; a force not to be taken likely.
My personal feelings is there were a great possibility of tornado’s touching down while sleeping, I think I‘d spend my entire night in a shelter knowing I’d be safe and could sleep without harm. At night you are less likely to hear the sirens in time or may not get to hear them at all.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:08pmoops lightly…..
Dang fingers..
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:34amPrayers to all those who have been hurt or killed and their families and friends along with those who have lost so much in other ways .. communities will come together and be stronger in the end. Bless you all.
Report Post »KwikKarl
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:59amHelp this Veteran organization help these people out…http://teamrubiconusa.org/ Donate if you can…
TeamRubicon @teamrubicon is on the ground in #Wichita, KS led by Ford Sypher. Check OrgAction for volunteer updates
Report Post »KwikKarl
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:08pmYou can follow their operations also via facebook and twitter http://www.facebook.com/teamrubicon and https://twitter.com/#!/TeamRubicon . This is the only NGO I have supported that has ever offered the left over portion of your donation back. They are seasoned Veterans and First Responders and are very responsible with their resources. They had elements in Texas recently during the tornadoes there. http://teamrubiconusa.org/blog/ .
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:06amThink about this: how can you tell the difference between a disaster the Father was in, and a disaster the Father was not in? Think about it.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:14amSince I know you don’t like the temple all that much I will help you. It’s that Satan likes to enslave men, and so Satan likes keeping men around to torment them and build his Kingdom above God’s. The Lord doesn’t fire warning shots, and therefore when people die in the 1000′s or tens of thousands, you know the Lord was in it.
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:17amWhere is there a place when water does not consist of water … that is you’re answer.
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:32amThe Lord is consistant in “firing warning shots”. They are through the entirety of God’s Word for those that lived, those that are, and those that will.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:33amTimmy
I notice that you never seem to have any compassion or concern for those who are in disasters just a pious holier than thou attitude… perhaps someday you will learn what it is to feel for others and not just preach your doctrine.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:08pmTim, do you ever think before you speak? Do you just engage the brain and whatever comes out comes out? Here is a task, I’d like you to preform before your fingers do the walking on the keyboard. Count to 100, so all the crap that hits your brain will vacate your memory and you will type something people will understand, is relevant, and stop making you look like you need to be in a mental institution.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 12:10pmNo matter how much I try Tim, my sane brain just won’t go there.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 3:03pmThat’s about as ass backwards as you can get.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 8:01pmTim may be kin to the “rev” wright. The preaching comes from hell.
Report Post »Teabunny
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:21pmGee, so Abraham and Lot were wrong about Sodom and Gomorrah? and when jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem??? so like the pharisees …you think he “casts out devils by devils” ??? get a clue!
Report Post »Teabunny
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:28pmnineveh? (and what about Noah???) no, God always gives a warning. (to those he loves) (THINK ABOUT IT!)
Report Post »