Mother and baby among five killed by second round of deadly tornadoes to strike Oklahoma
Tornadoes have killed at least five people, including a mother and her baby, in Oklahoma not far from the suburb of Moore that was hit by a violent twister less than two weeks ago.
A series of tornadoes swept through Moore and the surrounding area causing widespread damage.
A mother and her baby were among five people who were killed by the storms. They had been travelling in their car on Interstate 40, just west of Oklahoma, when the vehicle was swept up by the storm.
There were multiple crashes on the Interstate, according to Betsy Randolph, spokesman for Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
“It is a heartbreaking situation,” Randolph said.
Two people were killed in Union City and another in El Reno, west of Oklahoma City, according to Amy Elliott, spokesman for the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Up to 50 people were being treated for storm-related injuries, including five patients in critical condition, among them a child, according to the Integris Health hospital system.
Reports said five twisters struck the area around Oklahoma City, with winds of up to 90 miles per hour, accompanied by very large hail. Flash floods also hit the area and there were a series of power outages.
One of the tornadoes touched down in Moore, on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, which is still recovering from a massive tornado that killed 24 people less than two weeks ago.
Another swept up Interstate 40, tipping over trucks and cars. Television images showed damaged power lines and overturned vehicles. Many motorists were also left stranded in flood water.
"For reasons that are not clear to me, more people took to the roads, more than we expected. Everyone acted differently in this storm, and as a result, it created an extremely dangerous situation," Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said.
"I think we are still a little shaken by what happened in Moore. We are still burying children and victims, so our emotions are still strong," he added.
Brandi Vanalphen, 30, was among the hundreds of drivers trapped on traffic-snarled roads as she attempted to flee the tornado system menacing the suburb of Norman.
"What got me scared was being stuck in traffic with sirens going off," she said. "I started seeing power flashes to the north, and I said 'screw this.' I started driving on the shoulder. People started driving over the grass."
The National Weather Service has forecast more severe weather through the day on Saturday with Ohio and the Mississippi River Valleys set to receive the worst of the storms.
Officials urged people to stay off the roads.
Following the latest deaths, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said she was “heartsick” that Moore, struck by a powerful tornado on May 20, could be hit once again.
“I’m very concerned right now,” Fallin said.
“I’m here across from the capitol and it is hailing and blowing and raining extremely hard. Our tornado sirens have gone off several times.”
KFOR television, meanwhile, reported extensive damage around the cities of El Reno and Yukon. More than 170,000 people were said to have lost power in the Oklahoma City metro area.
Officials for Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport said that passengers had been evacuated to an underground tunnel and that flights in and out had been suspended.
The Moore tornado affected a total of 33,000 people, with winds above 200 miles per hour and killed 24 people.
