Oklahoma National Guard respond to tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. Photograph by Sgt. 1st Class Kendall James
Emergency workers in the US continue to search for survivors from the destruction caused by the gigantic tornado that tore through a suburb of Oklahoma City on Monday.
Entire neighbourhoods were flattened in just 55 minutes by the 200mph winds, with rescuers working through the night to rescue people trapped in the rubble in Moore, the worst hit suburb of the city which is home to 55,000 people. Lightning lit up the sky as heavy lifting vehicles moved in to clear some of the debris and attempt to rescue people and find survivors. Much of the rescue effort was focused on the Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit with the roof and walls being knocked down.
24 people have been confirmed dead by the city’s Chief Medical Examiner, a lower number than the 51 circulating earlier in the day, with some news reports claiming the number to be as high as 91.
President Barack Obama has offered his prayers and thoughts to the people of Moore and pledged any assistance they need for the disaster response, saying:
“The people of Moore should know that their country will remain on the ground, beside them, for as long as it takes,” he said.
The tornado over Moore, Oklahoma, captured by NASA’s Aqua MODIS satellite
