President praises rescuers in twister terror
Speaking at the White House, President Obama said the nation’s prayers were with the people of Oklahoma as he pledged to support the rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts there.
“In an instant neighbourhoods were destroyed, dozens of people lost their lives, many more were injured and among the victims were young children trying to take shelter in the safest place they knew – their school,” he said.
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Hide Ad“Our gratitude is with the teachers who gave their all to shield the children, with the neighbours, the first responders and emergency personnel who raced to help as soon as the tornado passed, and with all of those who, as darkness fell, searched for survivors through the night.”
The president said the people of Oklahoma would have all the resources they would need at their disposal, adding that the full extent of the damage would not be known for some time.
“As a nation our full focus right now is on the urgent work of rescue and the hard work of recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead,” he said.
“The people of Moore should know that their country will remain on the ground, there for them, beside them as long as it takes.
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Hide Ad“For there are homes and schools to rebuild, businesses and hospitals to reopen, there are parents to console, first responders to comfort, and, of course, frightened children who will need our continued love and attention.
“There are empty spaces where there used to be living rooms, and bedrooms, and classrooms, and, in time, we’re going to need to refill those spaces with love and laughter and community.”
His words followed those of the Queen, who earlier said she was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life and devastation caused by the tornado.
In a message to the president, she said: “Prince Philip joins me in offering our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families at this difficult time.
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Hide Ad“Our deepest sympathies go out to all those whose lives have been affected, as well as the American people.”
The tornado that pummelled the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore was one of at least four to have swept through the state since the weekend.
On Sunday, at least two people died and 21 more were injured with the worst damage that day caused by a twister near the town of Shawnee, 35 miles from Oklahoma City, where a trailer park was obliterated.
Iowa and Kansas have also been hit by tornadoes, hail and high winds as they were swept by a storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota.
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Hide AdRescue workers were continuing to sift through the wreckage at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore last night as the search for survivors went on.
Men were using pneumatic drills and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug.
As dusk began to fall, heavy equipment was rolled up to the school but the muddy ground hampered efforts, causing bulldozers and diggers to get stuck.
James Rushing, who lives opposite the school, where his five-year-old foster son Aiden is a pupil, rushed there in the belief it would be a safer place to shelter than his home when he heard reports of the approaching tornado.
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Hide Ad“About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart,” he said.
Another witness, Chris Calvert, who saw the tornado from about a mile away, said: “You could see the debris, like pieces of shingles and insulation and stuff like that, rotating around it.”
Another school, Briarwood Elementary, was also damaged but not as extensively, and a hospital and countless businesses were also wiped out.
The Mayor of Moore, Glenn Lewis, watched it pass through from his jewellery shop while his employees sheltered in the vault.
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Hide AdMr Lewis, who also held the office when the strongest tornado on record whipped the city more than a decade ago, said the most recent storm would not deter the community from rebuilding.
In May 1999, a storm produced the highest winds ever recorded near the Earth’s surface – 302mph. It was the fourth tornado to hit Moore since 1998. A twister also struck in 2003.
The latest devastation came almost exactly two years after an enormous twister ripped through Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people and injuring hundreds more.
The city is sending a team of safety experts, including police and firefighters, to assist in Moore.
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Hide AdJoplin city manager Mark Rohr said: “We remember the amount of assistance we received following the tornado two years ago, and we want to help others as they helped us. We know too well what their community is facing, and we feel an obligation to serve them as they have served us.”
Donations towards relief work can be made through the American Red Cross. Visit www.redcross.org.