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CNN Live At Daybreak
Tornado Ravages Oklahoma City Suburbs
Aired May 09, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get right to the center of the latest tornado damage. Oklahoma City suburbs are ravaged this morning. It is cleanup time.
Dianne Harrigan is with our affiliate KTUL, and she joins us from near Moore, Oklahoma in Del City.
Good morning.
DIANNE HARRIGAN, CNN AFFILIATE KTUL REPORTER: And good morning to you. This is a command post that has been set up for rescue workers. But, you know, not far from here, as a matter of fact, just a mile down the road, there are hundreds of homes seriously damaged and so many people without power.
Now, we have some pictures that we just took of what people are waking up to this morning. Just so much devastation as far as the eye can see.
We stopped by a bank this morning that had literally collapsed right off the interstate, and amazingly, we discovered that two tellers were inside hiding near the vault. Amazingly, they walked away without a scratch.
And destruction is not just limited to here in Del City and the Moore area, Midwest City, Choctaw. The destruction actually stretches for 35 miles. All told, 104 people were injured, there were 20 critical.
The GM assembly plant was also damaged. There was a paint shop that collapsed. There was also some damage to Tinker Air Force Base, nothing serious, but there was a guard shack that was destroyed.
You know what's so amazing, though, is that the path of this tornado is so similar to the path of the 1999 tornadoes that everyone in the Oklahoma City area remembers so well; 44 people died. And this tornado last night actually came within a half-mile of that exact same path. Many here just referring to it as a cruel joke.
Now, Governor Brad Henry, he is touring this area in a helicopter this morning, we're told, and he wants to have it declared a federal disaster area.
Reporting live in Del City, Oklahoma, Dianne Harrigan, News Channel 8.
COSTELLO: Dianne, I just want to talk to you, amid all of the destruction and the people who were injured, something clearly went right because there were no fatalities despite the incredible amount of damage. Are they crediting the warning system for that?
HARRIGAN: You know, they are. They're saying that today's technology really played an important role, because people got the warning. And there were so many amazing stories of survival. There was a truck driver that we heard about who pulled over on the interstate and literally clung to a tree as the storm swept through.
So, they were getting the warning on the radio, on the television. There was plenty of advance notice.
COSTELLO: Dianne Harrigan with our affiliate KTUL. Thank you for that report. We appreciate it.
And that tornado that hit the Oklahoma City area caused widespread damage, but as I was saying, there were no deaths.
Today's headline in "The Daily Oklahoman" says: "Twister Tears Into Metro." The photo under that banner, if you look at it, you can see under the debris and in the background smoke rises from the GM plant that Dianne Harrigan was talking about that was struck by the twister.
We want to check in now with Paul Sund. He is the communications director for Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, and he is joining us on the phone. It's just after 5:00 a.m.
Brad, thank you for -- actually, thanks for being with us, Paul.
PAUL SUND, OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SPOKESMAN: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Can you tell us exactly where you are this morning?
SUND: Actually, I'm at my home and will be leaving for the disaster area later this morning with Governor Henry. He's going to be touring the area.
He toured the area last night just before night fell, and it's obviously a scene of devastation. And our main priority right now is getting assistance into the area. A lot of people are without power, a lot of people are without homes. But fortunately in Oklahoma we're prepared for this kind of thing. We've got some of the best emergency management people in the country, and we're just going to try to make sure everybody has what they need to get along.
COSTELLO: Well, as we were just talking to the reporter from KTUL, something clearly went right last night, because as we have said, there were no fatalities despite the intensity of the storm.
SUND: Yes, that's right. I mean, we're really thanking our lucky stars for that, but we also have to thank the meteorologists in the area. We've got a great early warning system. I think that was the key.
For example, at the GM plant where you had hundreds of workers on shift, and they get an early warning, they go and take shelter. And even though the plant was severely damaged, there were no serious injuries reported out there, and that's the story we're hearing all across the area that was affected.
COSTELLO: What about the status of that plant? I imagine it's a huge employer in your area.
SUND: It is. We don't know how long it's going to take to do repairs or to retool, but Governor Henry said last night that that's a top priority to get GM back on its feet and to get the whole Metro area back on its feet, because we are hurting on the state budget, just like many states around the country, and we need to do what we can to get the economy back in shape.
COSTELLO: Well, you mention the state budget. Of course, we've been following a lot out of Washington the battle between the states and the federal government. One thing I think you have going for you, we had Michael Brown, the head of FEMA, on the other day. He's from Oklahoma.
SUND: That's right. That's right. And we've got a good congressional delegation, and Governor Henry has already been on the phone with the folks in Washington, and they're being very receptive to our request for assistance. A FEMA official is already on his way to Oklahoma to survey the damage, and we're going to try to get a federal disaster declaration as quickly as possible, and get the help we need for the people who need it the most.
COSTELLO: Well, we wish you well with that. You have your work cut out for you. Paul Sund with the governor's office, Governor Brad Henry, a lot for them to do today. Thanks for being with us, Paul, and good luck in the day ahead.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired May 9, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get right to the center of the latest tornado damage. Oklahoma City suburbs are ravaged this morning. It is cleanup time.
Dianne Harrigan is with our affiliate KTUL, and she joins us from near Moore, Oklahoma in Del City.
Good morning.
DIANNE HARRIGAN, CNN AFFILIATE KTUL REPORTER: And good morning to you. This is a command post that has been set up for rescue workers. But, you know, not far from here, as a matter of fact, just a mile down the road, there are hundreds of homes seriously damaged and so many people without power.
Now, we have some pictures that we just took of what people are waking up to this morning. Just so much devastation as far as the eye can see.
We stopped by a bank this morning that had literally collapsed right off the interstate, and amazingly, we discovered that two tellers were inside hiding near the vault. Amazingly, they walked away without a scratch.
And destruction is not just limited to here in Del City and the Moore area, Midwest City, Choctaw. The destruction actually stretches for 35 miles. All told, 104 people were injured, there were 20 critical.
The GM assembly plant was also damaged. There was a paint shop that collapsed. There was also some damage to Tinker Air Force Base, nothing serious, but there was a guard shack that was destroyed.
You know what's so amazing, though, is that the path of this tornado is so similar to the path of the 1999 tornadoes that everyone in the Oklahoma City area remembers so well; 44 people died. And this tornado last night actually came within a half-mile of that exact same path. Many here just referring to it as a cruel joke.
Now, Governor Brad Henry, he is touring this area in a helicopter this morning, we're told, and he wants to have it declared a federal disaster area.
Reporting live in Del City, Oklahoma, Dianne Harrigan, News Channel 8.
COSTELLO: Dianne, I just want to talk to you, amid all of the destruction and the people who were injured, something clearly went right because there were no fatalities despite the incredible amount of damage. Are they crediting the warning system for that?
HARRIGAN: You know, they are. They're saying that today's technology really played an important role, because people got the warning. And there were so many amazing stories of survival. There was a truck driver that we heard about who pulled over on the interstate and literally clung to a tree as the storm swept through.
So, they were getting the warning on the radio, on the television. There was plenty of advance notice.
COSTELLO: Dianne Harrigan with our affiliate KTUL. Thank you for that report. We appreciate it.
And that tornado that hit the Oklahoma City area caused widespread damage, but as I was saying, there were no deaths.
Today's headline in "The Daily Oklahoman" says: "Twister Tears Into Metro." The photo under that banner, if you look at it, you can see under the debris and in the background smoke rises from the GM plant that Dianne Harrigan was talking about that was struck by the twister.
We want to check in now with Paul Sund. He is the communications director for Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, and he is joining us on the phone. It's just after 5:00 a.m.
Brad, thank you for -- actually, thanks for being with us, Paul.
PAUL SUND, OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SPOKESMAN: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Can you tell us exactly where you are this morning?
SUND: Actually, I'm at my home and will be leaving for the disaster area later this morning with Governor Henry. He's going to be touring the area.
He toured the area last night just before night fell, and it's obviously a scene of devastation. And our main priority right now is getting assistance into the area. A lot of people are without power, a lot of people are without homes. But fortunately in Oklahoma we're prepared for this kind of thing. We've got some of the best emergency management people in the country, and we're just going to try to make sure everybody has what they need to get along.
COSTELLO: Well, as we were just talking to the reporter from KTUL, something clearly went right last night, because as we have said, there were no fatalities despite the intensity of the storm.
SUND: Yes, that's right. I mean, we're really thanking our lucky stars for that, but we also have to thank the meteorologists in the area. We've got a great early warning system. I think that was the key.
For example, at the GM plant where you had hundreds of workers on shift, and they get an early warning, they go and take shelter. And even though the plant was severely damaged, there were no serious injuries reported out there, and that's the story we're hearing all across the area that was affected.
COSTELLO: What about the status of that plant? I imagine it's a huge employer in your area.
SUND: It is. We don't know how long it's going to take to do repairs or to retool, but Governor Henry said last night that that's a top priority to get GM back on its feet and to get the whole Metro area back on its feet, because we are hurting on the state budget, just like many states around the country, and we need to do what we can to get the economy back in shape.
COSTELLO: Well, you mention the state budget. Of course, we've been following a lot out of Washington the battle between the states and the federal government. One thing I think you have going for you, we had Michael Brown, the head of FEMA, on the other day. He's from Oklahoma.
SUND: That's right. That's right. And we've got a good congressional delegation, and Governor Henry has already been on the phone with the folks in Washington, and they're being very receptive to our request for assistance. A FEMA official is already on his way to Oklahoma to survey the damage, and we're going to try to get a federal disaster declaration as quickly as possible, and get the help we need for the people who need it the most.
COSTELLO: Well, we wish you well with that. You have your work cut out for you. Paul Sund with the governor's office, Governor Brad Henry, a lot for them to do today. Thanks for being with us, Paul, and good luck in the day ahead.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
