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Continuing Oklahoma Tornado Aftermath Coverage

Aired May 21, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Anderson Cooper live in Moore, Oklahoma, for CNN's special coverage of the rescue efforts now under way, as I said, just behind me, what is left of the bowling alley.

It's one of the buildings that stood in the way of this tornado. Right now, rescue teams are digging through the rubble, searching for any survivors.

A short while ago, the fire chief spoke about this rescue operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY BIRD, MOORE, OKLAHOMA, FIRE CHIEF: We made it through I will say most of the structures, most of the vehicles, most of the homes. But the ones that we didn't make it through yesterday, we will make it through today for sure and a second and third time.

We will be through every damaged piece of property in this city at least three times before we are done. And we hope to be done by dark tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: At least 24 people, including nine children, were killed here.

Rescuers are not giving up hope, not by a long shot. As you heard, they will go through things three times. So far, more than 100 people have been found alive amidst the acres of destruction. That is an incredible number, more than 100 people found alive.

President Obama spoke just a short time ago, pledging urgent government help for what he is calling one of the most destructive storms in the nation's history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We don't know yet the full extent of the damage from this week's storm. We don't know both the human and economic losses that may have occurred.

We know that severe rumbling of weather, bad weather through much of the country still continues, and we're also preparing for a hurricane season that begins next week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And more images coming to us now of the tornado that caused the devastation two miles wide. I mean, imagine that.

One iReporter capturing the terror from the ground. Take a look. We learned just a short time ago the National Weather Service says the peak wind speed was 190 miles per hour. Once it hit, the sheer size of this tornado ripped up everything in its path, buildings, homes.

You can see the debris whipping around this car in that video. It is incredible there.

Our John King is out among -- in a different part of Moore. He has been out talking to survivors all day long.

John, what have you been hearing from people?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, it is remarkable.

This morning, I was out into the early morning hours when it was pitch back with search and rescue teams with their cadaver dogs. And residents were not allowed back into many of these neighborhoods then. They were sealed off. But residents have come back today. The family who lives here was back a short time ago trying to pick up things in the wreckage, trying to find anything they might like.

And you see the random things that are left behind, just a kitchen steak knife here. And if you look this way, I can see into the small bathroom of this hour here and it's gone, obviously, completely devastated. Through this window here, you can see the rain stop in this kitchen.

And families have started to come back. And just after daybreak this morning, we were about three quarters of a mile from here, and we met an elderly woman, Renee Myers, who says she tried to come back to her house last night. She was turned away. Yes, she said she wanted to find some jewelry and some other keepsake, but most important first when she tried last night and when she there at daybreak today to try to find her beloved Jackson, Boo, her dog.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RENEE MYERS, TORNADO SURVIVOR: The only thing I lost is my dog. And that's it.

KING: Dog and a cat?

MYERS: Yes.

KING: I'm really sorry.

MYERS: And the dog was a present from my kids (INAUDIBLE) for Mother's Day.

KING: (OFF-MIKE) MYERS: Yes, it was on top of my bed.

KING: And what were you able to get out? I see you got some...

(CROSSTALK)

MYERS: Oh, we just found some jewelry. And he is just digging around. We really did get -- I told him we just have to stack it until it dries up and we can get cars in here with -- my other kids can help get it out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, Renee Myers told us her dog, a small dog, would stay in a little kennel. But she said he was capable of kicking the door open. She is a part-time teacher, a substitute teacher.

She said when she would come from school, the dog would hear her coming and run to the door. So, while we were speaking, Anderson, her son was there sifting through the rubble. He was trying to find the kennel. And he got to a point where he couldn't move some heavy things.

So, I went in to help him for a few minutes. And we did manage to move some heavy debris around a chimney, and we found the kennel. And Renee Myers was actually happy. It was the first time she said she had smiled because the kennel was empty and the door was open.

Now, the wreckage was everywhere, much like where I'm standing now. It looked very much like this. So, there is a distinct possibility of course her dog passed away and is buried in the wreckage. But, because it was open, because it was open, Anderson, she had some hope, some hope that after she left for cover and she was unable to get her dog because she was leaving for the school where she was working, she was hopeful maybe perhaps Jackson, or she calls him Boo, escaped.

And she was looking through the neighborhood hoping, hoping to find him, as many residents are.

COOPER: Yes. And we saw a video of an elderly lady who did find her dog alive in the rubble while she was being interviewed.

KING: Right.

COOPER: John, where do the people who live in that home -- where are they staying now? Are they staying with friends? Are they staying at a shelter?

KING: She stayed with her son. He lives in Norman.

And he lost his home in the big tornado back in 1999. Some stayed at shelters. When I got in here last night, I was at one local church. There was a very fitting sign out front. Many of these Christian churches, other churches put little signs out front. You drive by them every day and you think much of them. But it said when you have had enough and you can't stand, when you have had more than you can stand, kneel. And there were some people staying in that church. And people were still looking for their families. So, some went to shelters. Many went to families.

And the first thing they tried to do at daybreak because again when I was there last night, people were trying to get back into their neighborhood. And the authorities just simply wouldn't let them. But today, as they tried to come back -- and the weather -- stopped raining at the moment, or it's raining much more lightly -- the weather complicating what is obviously a very, very difficult day for people as they get back.

But, Anderson, you have been talking about it all day and you saw it when you got here last night. Many went through this in 1999. They are going through it again today. But they are resilient and they have faith. And their community has pulled together remarkably. So, even though it looks like this, most people we have met said they want to stay and they want to rebuild.

COOPER: Yes. We have heard that time and time again. John, I appreciate it.

As the tornado descended on this city of Moore, people tried to -- people only had a few minutes, up to 16 minutes to try to figure out whether to get in their vehicles, try to outrun it, whether to hunker down where they were to try get into a storm shelter if they had it or in their bathrooms. Or some even keep it in their closets, we have heard about.

A lot of people took some incredible video capturing the storm's terrifying size. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, dear God. Listen.

Very large and deadly tornado. Kevin, get the pictures, man. I'm getting the video. I have never heard a roar like that before. Oh, my god. It's going to go just our north, very large (INAUDIBLE) heading into Moore, Oklahoma.

I know. Hold on. It is going to our north. We're completely fine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get in the car. Get in the car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

Jump in when you guys are ready. Yes, we need to go. We need to go. We have lots of debris coming down. OK, we're (OFF-MIKE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go north back behind it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back through the debris field, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. The search and rescue time after this, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the damage, the damage path right now. Houses are completely leveled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leveled. It just doesn't even -- it is unrecognizable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leveled. Houses are leveled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This doesn't even look like it was ever a development.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it doesn't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks -- oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no. This...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God, guys. Look at those people. We have to help them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pull over in this little inlet right here, right .

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like a day care or school or something. Look at all the kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: It is still so hard to believe.

And there is a strange silence here today. You hear generators. You hear some trucks backing up. You hear some heavy earthmoving equipment kind of moving some debris. People walk by having quiet conversations.

But there is a silence. It's almost like a stunned silence, people -- a lot of people kind of standing around. Some are taking pictures, some just shaking their heads. They don't really know exactly what to do or where to go, what -- what step to take first.

If you want to help Moore, Oklahoma, you can visit our Impact Your World page. That's at CNN.com/impact.

We are going to have more from a nearby neighborhood. John King was in the neighborhood we showed you. Stephanie Elam is in another one. She's going to give us a look at what she's seeing firsthand.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: Hey. Welcome back to Moore, Oklahoma.

The cleanup, no doubt, is going to be long and it's going to be hard here in Moore. There's going to be a lot of hard days ahead, a lot of hard weeks. Piles of debris that used to be homes and cherished belongings are scattered, scattered for miles, really. You can see the destruction in all directions.

Our Stephanie Elam is in one of the neighborhoods that took a direct hit.

And, Stephanie, some of the things you have been seeing all throughout the day, people -- I always wonder, how do -- what is even the first step that people take to try to start to rebuild?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's unbelievable what these people are coming in and finding, Anderson.

And a lot of them are coming in to find out that most of the walls of their homes are gone. We did find one shelter here, shelter here that is right -- that would have been underneath their car, but they of course were at work.

They would have been in here, but they were not in here. But look at what happened. If you look at where I'm standing, their entire garage blew away. Look at this. The entire foundation is gone. They came back. This couple just got married in August. Her wedding dress was gone. Many things are gone, including their dog.

And this is Sugar. This is Sugar. They are looking for their dog Sugar. She sent me a picture so that I can show everyone. And this is the story of a lot of people out here, Anderson, where they are looking for their loved ones. And a lot of times, that means the little furry ones, people coming out, calling for their animals, hoping that they can find some sort of idea of where they could have gone. And it is just very heartbreaking for a lot of these people -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, there's no doubt about it. And obviously people are trying to really pick up the pieces as best they can, take whatever they can find usually, and then they are going to stay somewhere else, as we were talking to John King about.

Stephanie, appreciate that.

One of the things you keep seeing -- and, again, it kind of takes time for your eyes to almost adjust to what you are seeing. You look at something, you try to piece together what it is. I took some pictures. I put them on Instagram of some vehicles that are just actually about a block or so from where I am standing right now.

These vehicles, one, that is a vehicle there that is -- it's hard to tell, but it has basically been totally crushed, top of it. And that is another one that has also been completely crushed there. And a couple of these vehicles almost are like fused together. They have been slammed together with such force, they have melded into each other.

At Plaza Towers Elementary, which we have been focusing so much over the last, well, 24 hours or so, about 75 students and staff members rode out the storm. At least seven of those killed in the tornado were students there. Emergency personnel continue to scour the rubble of that elementary school, twisted metal, crumbled cinder blocks. Students were just days away from summer vacation.

At nearby Briarwood Elementary, you can hear the sheer chaos as parents and teachers search for their children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, where is she?

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's out? She's out? OK. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All fifth graders, all fifth graders right here!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Step over the wires.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step over the wires, fifth grade!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And the good news there, everyone at that school at Briarwood Elementary has been accounted for, everyone.

Up next: The mayor says he is optimistic that they are going to find more people in the rubble. Brian Todd is standing by. He has new information on the rescue efforts that are under way.

This is CNN's special live coverage. We will be right back from Moore, Oklahoma.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His teacher is in the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His teacher is in the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His teacher saved his life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is his teacher? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mrs. Loath (ph). I have no doubt that God and his teacher, I mean, they lifted a wall off of these kids, several kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a wall on your son?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mm-hmm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Hey, welcome back here to -- we are live in Moore, Oklahoma.

There has been a lot of confusion over the last, well, many hours over the death toll. Last night, the state medical examiner told me on the air that the death toll was in the -- about 40 or so. That has actually been downgraded now. So, now they are saying 24 is the confirmed death toll.

Our Brian Todd was at a press conference that heard just a short time ago with an update on rescue efforts.

Brian, what is the latest on how rescue efforts are going?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, they do still consider this a rescue effort and not a recovery effort just yet.

Much of this is still a rescue effort. One of the officials, the fire chief of Moore, Mr. -- Fire Chief Bird, told us a short time ago that they are going through every single piece of damaged property at least three times. And they haven't finished doing that yet. They are sending dog teams in.

They are sending all sorts of specialists in to every house, searching every damaged house and building at least three times, looking for survivors, so, this still very much a rescue effort, not just a recovery effort. You mentioned the death toll that was revised down very significantly this afternoon to 24 at the moment, nine of them children. Seven of those nine were in that Plaza Towers Elementary School that just got leveled.

So, those figures are the latest that we know about casualties from this tornado. Another kind of significant piece of information that has come out this afternoon at this news conference, the police chief of Oklahoma City said, at one point -- maybe it was overnight last night and into this morning -- they had about 48 people reported missing, but that police chief said that right now just about all of them have been accounted for, except, he said -- quote -- "a few people in Moore."

So, there may be still a few people in this town that was so hard-hit by the tornado who are still missing, but that figure revised down as well -- Anderson. COOPER: So, Brian -- and, again, we may not know this because there is some confusion about locations of people -- all the kids who were at that elementary school that has been the focus of so much search, have they all been accounted for at this point, or they're still searching, or there are still some missing?

TODD: They are still searching around that area of the elementary school, from what they tell us.

As far as all of the children being accounted for from that school, they are giving indications that all of them have been accounted for, but, again, they are still searching. So, they are hedging it a little bit. I think they just want to make sure that they have combed through every piece of debris, every pocket of debris.

As you know, you have been in Haiti. You have been in Japan. And in these situations, after those earthquakes there, after hurricanes and certainly after tornadoes, you have crevices in buildings and even among rubble that you think -- where you think there is nothing there, where they may be a pocket where someone could be possibly alive.

So, that's what -- they are still sending in canine teams in a lot of these areas. We were in a very devastated area of town a short time ago. They have still got search and rescue dog teams combing through there. They are using infrared to try to get through some structures, even some vehicles that are damaged very heavily, so still very, very much an ongoing rescue operation.

And, as far as accounting for people, they say that just about everybody has been accounted for. But, again, they're hedging it. They are saying, listen, not until we go through every single piece of damaged property at least three times.

COOPER: Yes. I understand. It's important to be as thorough as possible and searching things three times.

The weather has let up here, as Chad Myers predicted it would. So, that is a little bit more good news. The rain has stopped. The lightning and thunder has stopped. So, that is going to make it, the rest of the daylight hours, a little bit easier to search in.

Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to join me live coming up next on what kind of urgent care is needed and how hospitals are operating given the circumstances.

Our special coverage live in Oklahoma continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: I'm Anderson Cooper live in Moore, Oklahoma. I want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and watching around the world on CNN International.

On its Web site, you can see what the Moore Medical Center looked like just a little more than 24 hours ago. Well, today, the hospital building is half of what it used to be. It is unrecognizable from what it is on its Web site.

It took a direct hit. No one was injured -- no was killed inside, which is incredible. But look at that structure. The front of it, the facade has been stripped away. A two-story building is now just one story. No one can be inside it at this point. Three other area hospitals have had to step in.

Our chief medical correspond, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins me now.

It's incredible to see this that was right in the path of the storm. You don't really hear about hospitals getting direct hits.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: And now we have heard about it twice. You know, in Joplin, the hospital was right in the path of the storm, and here again.

It is quite remarkable, because they are trying to hopefully be able to care for people who have been injured by this, and then they themselves become part of the -- part of the storm. It's a 45-bed hospital. I was talking to some of the doctors who were actually working there at the time.

And they did all of the things that you would expect them to do, which is move patients to the center of the hospital, move them away obviously from glass. But you have so many other considerations, oxygen, for example, in a hospital, radiographic equipment, all of those things.

And, as you mentioned, nobody was really even injured, as I hear, as a result of those efforts.