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Tornado Devastation in Oklahoma

Aired May 21, 2013 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETSY RANDOLPH, SPOKESWOMAN, OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL: Maybe possibly knocked unconscious. We had people out overnight, simply walking and listening. Listening for cries of help. We know they are still out there and we're going to find them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's incredible. So today the rescue effort will continue?

RANDOLPH: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any kind of number as to how many people were recovered?

RANDOLPH: I know overnight, we found 101. All of our teams combined, 101 people rescued overnight alive and well. We hope that number to increase during the day today as teams continue. We'll have a new set of crew that come on at 7:00, they'' get their briefing, they'll get their assignments, and they'll go out. Within a number of minutes, probably, and hours, we'll have those good numbers coming back in, we know there are people that are heartbroken because they've already gotten the word that some of their family members won't be coming home and we understand that, and our heart are heavy for them. I can't even imagine their devastation. I can't, as a mom, I can't.

But we know that God is good and we know that there are people out there who are still alive, and we're going to find them. And we're going to reunite them with their families and that's why we're here and we'll stay her until we get it done.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here we are in Moore, Oklahoma. I'm Chris Cuomo. Joined by Pam Brown. Trying to give people a sense of what it's like here. Do me favor, you're not tied up to the devices here. Take a walk over into this bowling alley, or what was a bowling alley. Tell us what we see.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We were just talking about this. You don't even have to -- you look at it -- the picture really tells a story. But, we're talking about how the structure is collapsed. It shows the -- how powerful, how ferocious that tornado was. Take a look over here, we can see the beam over here that was actually holding this structure up. It's a steel beam this burgundy steel beam. This was once holding this up bowling alley over here and you can see, lying down this is a scene all over where this bowling alley was. We see metal scraps, side panel right here, wrapped around this pole, hugging the pole like it's straw. This over here, that's where bowling alley was.

This is where people would come to enjoy themselves, and now it is obliterated after the tornado that came through here. This was actually in the direct path of the tornado yesterday, and you can see a bowling ball here. This is a child's bowling ball.

These are scattered throughout the area here, and what is interesting, the carpet, the fact that you see this carpet here and you can kind of visualize what this once was. People would come in, this is presumably where they would walk in to buy their bowling shoes, and now just mountains and mountains of rubble, and you look over here right next to the bowling alley, a hospital also obliterated. This was supposed to be, as Chris pointed out earlier, what was supposed to be a safe zone for people. This is where people are in times like this, in times of devastation, people not only recovering, but they come here for shelter, look behind me and that too, it just paints a picture of how powerful the tornado was.

CUOMO: And we see all the cars with the Xs, that means they were searched. There was found to be nobody in there. That's the process going on right now. And Pam, you were just pointing out, imagine how difficult it would be to go out and find if anyone is okay. Lots of pockets of open space, even though it looks like a big pile, but to find them is painstaking. You know, it needs human hands. It needs time.

BROWN: And heavy too talking about right here, the aluminum. I don't know what you would call this. This is part of the structure, and it's even hard to pick up. Think about how difficult it is for a lot of the rescue workers who can't use machines, equipment to help them, because they are afraid if they do, it could harm survivors.

CUOMO: Can't get big earth moving equipment. You're going to hear dog barking, there's just a dog running through here. Running through the bowling alley, if they are able to pick him up on the camera.

BROWN: We've seen a lot of this.

CUOMO: Who knows who he's looking for. Trying to do their best. Part of the search effort. The dog is excited. He's working. That's how they are trained. Show excitement as they are going through, and hopefully he clears this scene and no terrible discoveries on his watch right now. But we know they are going to happen. That is the nature of this process, but also will be beautiful discoveries and for sure there is great, great need. People have lost their homes, they have lost loved ones and getting cold here, Pam and I just put on our coats. As the weather system moved out, cold air moved in. A lot of people have nowhere to go.

I want to bring in Pastor Craig Groeschel,, he is senior pastor at the Oklahoma City mega church, Life Church TV. Pastor, an you hear me?

PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL LIFE CHURCH TV: I can, Chris, thank you.

CUOMO: Thank you for joining us, sir. We know you put a shelter together. What did you see? What came through your doors last night? GROESCHEL: It's just devastating what is going on right now. We did open up one of our church locations and had the staff mobilize there and honestly, working with state agencies and are the red across, trying to finalize details to make locations an official drop point. Scrambling and working hard along with everybody else, trying to do everything we can to help people, to meet immediate needs and make a difference in the community like all Oklahomans are.

CUOMO: Pastor, as you are talking to me, so our audience understands, there is hazmat manager and a rescue team, search and rescue going on around us that we have a camera on right now as well. Just to have people understand, pastor, how many different arms there of the recovery process. People need to search, and people like you need to open doors and welcome in families. The need will come in waves. People who didn't see last night, they need food, clothing, you will start to see people, yes?

GROESCHEL: Absolutely. It does come in waves and right now we're focused on doing everything we can to meet immediate needs and work with the amazing rescue workers. In Oklahoma, we're no stranger to these types of tragedies, we're thankful that Oklahomans are hard workers, full of faith here, our people are resilient, and a lot of crying going on right now. But we know how to work together and we'll see a lot of good stories come out of this as well. Amazing the way our teams will partner here and we're appreciative and grateful to all of you for giving the coverage we need to get help in here. We're focused on immediate needs and honestly, Chris, you know, in a few weeks it will settle down here and that is when we will really dig in and make the commitment to help people in the long haul.

CUOMO: An important point, pastor. Dent doesn't end just because the tornado is gone. CNN/impact. Go to our website. Organizations there like the pastor's trying to help. Go there and help out with the need that will grow. We'll leave you right with picture of searches going on. Dogs are wagging tails because they are working. Hopefully there are no horrible discoveries, hopefully so many more people found alive as we move through the tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma. We'll take a break, be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right. You see the dogs working. This is part of the ongoing search effort. This team just showed up right next to us where we're broadcasting from. You get a real good sense of what is required in every structure on all these different streets in all of this community. They set up a perimeter here of about six or eight men. Inside there were dogs, three or four of them, the dogs are working, they are sniffing. You hear barking, the barking could be signals, even just the excitement, the trainers know how to deal with that. And what they do is they have to follow the dogs through these debris field.

And we're showing you this because it's very painstaking work. It's very detail-oriented and it's very dangerous because they have to find their way through it -- the dogs as well. They, of course, are much more nimble and able to make it through very easily. You are watching Chief, this dog's name right now. He's working. He's back with his trainer right now. He's barking, that's part of his work, and just communication between trainer and the dog. It doesn't mean that he necessarily found something. But they have to find and follow him all through this. It takes time.

It's sophisticated work and it's dangerous and there is so much of it to do because there are buildings like this that have fallen down all over.

As you come into this area here in Moore, Oklahoma it comes in waves. First you see debris on the road, then you start to see that homes have been like sprayed. Almost like power washed with mud. Then you start to see big things are missing, trees. Power lines are down, the street lights have stopped. And then everything is gone and you get to this point.

This is the medical center. People were going to go here to take shelter. There were patients obviously inside. they were moved to safe. The staff is all accounted for.

But when this is what happens to the place that is supposed to be a safe place, imagine what happened everywhere else. And that's why the devastation is so complete and daunting in this community right now. Yes, we're hearing numbers: 51 confirmed dead; 20 of them children. A number of those children came from one elementary school.

This tornado hit at 3:00 in the afternoon just when kids are getting out of school as we know. There were kids in the basement. That school happened to have, that building happened to have a basement. It was flooding and lives were lost.

The numbers are going to change. Searches like this are so active and ongoing, communication is tough here. Cell communication is difficult. The numbers are going to go up. Where this ranks ultimately, we don't know. And it doesn't really matter because damages are just -- it's so devastating for this community. The need is great.

CNN.com/impact; you can go there, you can figure out how to give. It really is part of the responsibility of all of us in these situations. These could be our families. They could be people you know. They lost their homes. So many have lost loved ones, they are looking for them. Hopefully they find them.

Search teams just like this one that we're showing you they are all over the place. They are coming from surrounding neighborhood as well.

Now one of the images that really captured for us, what has happened here was in the scene at one of the schools. It was on the cover of "The Oklahoman" this morning. And when I saw this scene and I hope they are putting the picture up for you now. I thought these were parents that were so happy that they were able to get their kids back. The man strong, his face is bloodied, he's holding this kid who is melted into his arms. The woman who is there who I thought was a mother, maybe she is. Bloodied, but happy because she's got a kid.

They weren't those kids' parents. They are teachers. They are teachers from that school stories that we're hearing about teachers once again becoming much more than educators, but protectors and first responders. That school was such a traumatic place for some, wondering what was going to happen. They couldn't get through. Many got happy endings, many did not.

Now, the person, the photographer who took that picture, his name is Paul Hellstern. And Paul is on the phone with us right now. Paul can you hear me?

PAUL HELLSTERN, PHOTOGRAPHER (via telephone): Yes, I can.

CUOMO: The picture you took Paul really brings it home. Will you please set the scene for me of what was going on when you took the photo?

HELLSTERN: Yes, I had just arrived probably within about five minutes after the tornado had passed and came into that neighborhood and noticed the school there and children pouring out of the school. I got my cameras together. I ran over there as fast as I could to -- to try and document that.

And -- and most of these that you were seeing there in the photo were -- were teachers as far as I know, some of them injured, but still taking time to -- to care for the kids first. And as far as I know, all of the kids were taken out safely.

CUOMO: All right. That's the best part. So as far as you know Paul the kids that you are seeing there, no casualties, families were getting reunited. You didn't see kids -- you didn't see any -- anybody in a bad way there, did you?

HELLSTERN: Well, there were some injuries it looked like with some of the teachers, like the photo that you mentioned there. There's another that had a pretty bad injury to her foot or ankle. And a number of others bloodied. But it's my understanding that everyone escaped at least alive and fairly -- fairly good shape.

CUOMO: All right. They are putting another mike on me. Paul, do you still got me?

HELLSTERN: Yes, I do.

CUOMO: Ok. Obviously everything is difficult right now in the community. Communications are different -- difficult. Power is difficult. In terms of what you're seeing on the ground there, people coming together, Paul, what have you witnessed through your lens of how people are helping each other?

HELLSTERN: Well, I was one of the first ones on the scene before the -- before the rescuers got there but just the immediate moment the teachers themselves were just amazing how they like I say how they cared for the kids and went back in and got more kids out. Then shortly the rescue workers arrived and the police, fire department, ambulance workers and took care of people. They had the police trying to remove rubble to see if anyone else was still in the school. And -- but the -- the emotion of seeing the parents come together with their children for the first moment finding them alive and still well was -- was exciting.

CUOMO: And even though they've lost so much, even though they are hurt, knowing that their loved ones are ok makes all the difference.

HELLSTERN: Absolutely, yes.

CUOMO: Do you see that in their faces? Do you hear that in their voices?

HELLSTERN: Oh yes, yes. When I first got there before most -- any of the parents got there probably and it was pandemonium with the children crying everywhere, of course, bloody teachers and so forth. But very quickly things started coming together. The -- everyone worked together to get the -- to get the kids reunited with parents and at least for -- for the kids at that school things worked out for the most part real well. There're a lot of scared kids but all alive.

CUOMO: All right Paul thank you very much. Thank you for talking with us about the photo and thank you for taking it because it really bring -- that image really does brings through the experience of so many here on the ground. And please stay safe.

HELLSTERN: Thank you.

CUOMO: Thank you for being with us.

HELLSTERN: You bet.

CUOMO: We're going to take a break right now.

In Moore Oklahoma 40,000 homes without power, homes lost. People have lost everything searching for loved ones. The search and rescue is very active. We've been watching it all around us.

Stay with us as we take a break and come back for more coverage of this ongoing situation where people need your help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had to hold onto the wall to keep myself safe because I didn't want to fly away in the tornado.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had to pull a car out of the front hallway off a teacher. And she -- I don't know what that lady's name is but she had three little kids underneath her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CUOMO: It's Chris Cuomo in Moore, Oklahoma. At about 3:00 p.m. local time yesterday, a tornado came through and devastated this community. There are 50,000 people here, so just about everyone has been affected in a terrible way by this horrible tornado that came through.

You can see what's going on around us. Parts of this community were just leveled by this. The numbers so far: 51 confirmed dead, 20 of those children; about 150 people went to hospitals. Many are walking wounded. The good news search and rescue is very active. They've only made it through halfway of what they have to cover.

The storm, its damage potential, its strength rating, all that is yet to come but we know that in some parts it was two miles wide and 20 miles long -- how long -- how the path of this destruction. And in its wake, the lieutenant governor told us it was like a blade from a lawnmower going through these homes and these people's lives.

Just near us right now is Stephanie Elam. She's in a community to show what has happened there. She's been talking to the people who lived there. Stephanie, are you with us? What are you seeing?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chris, I have to tell you, we drove in overnight from Houston and it's almost -- there's nothing to prepare for you what you see when you get out here. We are not far from you. Just a short drive from where you are right now, Chris.

And we came up here and we actually did find the owners of this house. I came to see what they could find. They are going through and finding random things that have been there like the owner's great grandfather's pick ax. He used to work in the mines in Missouri; and then their kids' toys that had been blown out to the front of their house.

These kinds of things that are just scattered throughout and they're picking them up and bringing them to the front, weird things that have survived. One of the owners telling me that a box of their tax returns from a few years ago survived. It was just in a paper box but that survived while so many other things have just been destroyed.

And so we asked them because they have their ties to M Missouri, I asked the owner of the house just how bad this was compared to other tornadoes and here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACK WOODCOCK, HOME DESTROYED BY TORNADO: They just said one of our little wrestlers is missing.

ELAM: How old is he?

WOODCOCK: Don't even know who it is yet.

ELAM: You don't know. You just know one is missing. This is hard. I mean it's more than just your family. It's also your community. We're glad your family is ok.

WOODCOCK: Yes. Just -- we'll be fine. We'll rebuild again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: so that's a little bit different sound than I thought you were going to hear. As far as the tornadoes are concerned, he says they are just both as bad. There is so much devastation but he had just found out -- he's very involved. His 15-year-old son is a wrestler and he also found out that this younger wrestler that he worked with as well, that one is missing. He doesn't know which wrestler that is that's missing right now.

But as you look around here, while they did let some residents to campaign in to see if they could find a pet or one little thing, they don't want them here because they've done the sweep looking for people but what they haven't done yet is gone back to check gas lines. That's what they want to do now because water is not working. They do not want to have fires.

And things like this. Take a look at this. You see this wire right here? That's just ripped out. Look at this. It's just an outlet just sitting out here. It's just pulled from the wall and just sitting out here. These are the kind of things that they're looking for to make sure that there's nothing that's live that could be out here that could actually start a fire or anything like that with a gas line. They just want to make sure everything is safe before residents come back in here.

So Chris when you take a look at it, just a lot of devastation and it's almost unfathomable what these people are dealing with.

CUOMO: It's just the beginning. Stephanie, be very safe where you are. There's a lot of live power wires down. There are open gas mains; 50,000 people without power right now. The water treatment plant for Moore is still not online. They are asking people to conserve water. In some places it's not available.

So there are a lot of obstacles that people are trying to survive.