Replies

Posted on Thu, May. 08, 2003

Tornado sweeps across parts of Oklahoma City; at least 25 injured
JENNIFER L. BROWN
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY - A tornado swept across Oklahoma City as the afternoon rush hour began Thursday, flattening dozens of homes, scattering cars and knocking out power to thousands of homes. At least 25 people were injured, one critically.

The storm ripped roofs off homes and businesses, and left automobiles and mobile homes strewn across the landscape. Damage was also reported at nearby Tinker Air Force Base and a General Motors plant.

Paul O'Leary, spokesman for the city's ambulance service, reported 25 injuries, one critical. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.

Truck driver David Waller was on Interstate 40 when he saw the tornado coming his way. He parked his 18-wheeler and ran for a clump of bushes. He and two other men clung to a tree as the tornado passed near them.

"I'm scared to death," said Waller, who was shaking, his clothes covered with mud. His semi was picked up by the tornado and dropped on its side.

The sky was filled with litter as the tornado passed.

"All I saw was a bunch of trash," Waller said.

Tornado sirens sounded just before 5 p.m. and the twister touched down in suburban Moore at about 5:15 p.m. Shrouded by rain, it moved over Interstate 35 and a mall before moving to the northeast and into two more suburbs, Midwest City and Del City.

I-40 east of Oklahoma City was littered with boards, trees, twisted metal and insulation. Authorities closed parts of I-240 after heavy wind damaged industrial buildings, a mobile home sales lots, a bank and a fast-food restaurant.

Some 37,000 customers in the area were without power, Oklahoma Gas and Electric said.

The storm was an eerie reminder of May 3, 1999, when 44 people were killed by tornadoes that hit the state, including parts of Oklahoma City.

Since Sunday, tornado-packed storms have killed at least 42 people - 18 in Missouri, 15 in Tennessee, seven in Kansas and two in Illinois. Officials have estimated damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

President Bush declared disaster areas in 20 Tennessee counties Thursday, clearing the way for federal emergency assistance. On Tuesday, Bush did the same for parts of Kansas and Missouri.