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American Morning
Oklahoma City Waking Up to Extensive Damage from Tornadoes
Aired May 09, 2003 - 08:01 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yet again today, Oklahoma City waking up to extensive damage from tornadoes yesterday. Three hundred homes destroyed, 300 others damaged. It's going to be a long day and a long weekend of cleaning up there. Forecasters say the skies should be clear today. But after midnight, conditions, we are told, right yet again for more severe weather there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And just north of there, Kansas is cleaning up now, too. Lawrence, Kansas took the brunt of yesterday's storms. There was extensive damage there to about 40 homes and six apartment buildings. As you know, the University of Kansas is there, as well. About 100 people are now homeless.
The good news in all of this, though, and the amazing news is that no one was killed.
HEMMER: Yes, isn't that right?
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Especially after the storms we saw earlier in the week. That is really the silver lining right now.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: We want to get you straight away to Oklahoma, the town of Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
Brian Cabell is there live this morning for us -- Brian, how are things with daylight now?
Good morning.
BRIAN CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we can see a little bit more of the damage now, Bill. We don't see too many of the residents walking around just yet. We expect that through the morning and afternoon.
But take a look behind me over there. See that traffic back there? That's I-35, a major interstate. Beyond that, you can see some roofs that were damaged. That is where the tornado crossed. It crossed over I-35. This over here, this building right here is a dental building. There were about six or seven people in the office yesterday, including a couple of patients, when the tornado came through. This car in front here overturned. It was thrown about 50 yards and then overturned. We just talked to the mother of the, one of the owners. She's all right. All seven people who were inside, we're told, were all right.
This storm was not as severe as the one four years ago, but it took almost precisely the same path.
The figures as we have them right now, the latest ones, and they will be updated throughout the day, 300 homes and buildings destroyed. Anywhere from 300 to 1,500 damaged. We are hearing varying figures at this point. One hundred twenty-five people injured, 12 of them seriously. So far no deaths as far as we know, and, again, that is the miraculous aspect of this.
The dollar estimate, we don't have that yet. FEMA officials will be out today to give us a better idea. The governor will be out here by helicopter. In fact, we saw a helicopter just a little while ago, so we may get a better idea.
A General Motors plant not far from here was seriously damaged. Also, Tinker Air Force Base also seriously damaged. And as you can see, the houses here behind me, these are brick houses back here, absolutely wiped out. The brick is crumbling. The roofs are gone. But, again, the amazing thing here, and it may be because there was adequate warning yesterday. We're told the media was giving, were giving warning some 30 minutes before this tornado came through. So people were able to find some safety.
Nobody, as far as we know, was killed yesterday in this tornado -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brian, thanks.
Brian Cabell there in Oklahoma.
They call it Tornado Alley for a reason.
COLLINS: Yes, they certainly do.
HEMMER: Folks there have seen a lot of that.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.
Chad Myers has been following the paths of all of these powerful storms. Now, he's at the CNN Center with the very latest.
I think you said, Chad, 243 tornadoes in all.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So far.
COLLINS: Which beats the previous record that I found here...
MYERS: Oh, yes.
COLLINS: ... 159. It beats it by a mile.
MYERS: It sure does. You know, and we could add a few to that number, Heidi, and we could subtract a few from that number. Typically it comes down a couple because you've got one guy looking at the storm from one side of the county and another guy looking at it from the other and they get counted double. But as the Weather Service goes out and checks the storms, they'll actually have a better number, probably in about a week. But it's not going to change much.
(NATIONAL WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: More severe weather today. It pops up this evening and overnight right through Oklahoma City, right through Kansas City, right through Kansas. Again, another cay of storms. But it's going to end. By Sunday it's all over and the pattern changes. I'll tell you what in 25 minutes.
COLLINS: Oh, thank goodness for that.
HEMMER: Two days away.
COLLINS: Something to look forward to on Mother's Day, too.
All right, very good.
Chad Myers, thanks so much for the update.
Relief efforts are already under way now because of all the storms earlier in the week.
Michael Spencer is a member of the Red Cross Rapid Response Team.
He is joining us this morning from Moore, Oklahoma.
Thanks for being here, Michael.
I want to ask you, we know at least 600 homes in that area have either been completely destroyed or severely damaged. What does it look like to you?
MICHAEL SPENCER, RED CROSS RAPID RESPONSE TEAM: That's right, Heidi. I just came back from Missouri and it's the same picture here in Moore, Oklahoma. This tornado has once again torn lives completely apart and the Red Cross is here to help these people get back on their feet.
COLLINS: I know that there are also some mental health workers in the area to help deal with, I would imagine, the people's spirit and their state of mind.
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
SPENCER: Sure. Our mental health workers are roaming through the neighborhoods right now. You'll see a couple behind me and to the left. And what they are doing, they are talking to these people as they come home, as people try to salvage the last few things they can save, if there's anything at all they can save. And this is a very traumatic experience for these people because just four years ago they were hit almost the same area. And that's why our mental health counselors are roaming through all the neighborhoods, making sure these people have someone to talk to when they need to. COLLINS: It's almost like a re-traumatization. How are the people holding up, in your mind?
SPENCER: You know, when the sun came up this morning, I was in shock and so was the rest of the town. You know, new damage, the same homes that happened before. But these people rebuilt four years ago and they'll rebuild today with our help.
COLLINS: And your help includes many different areas, but I'm wondering mostly about the shelters. Are a lot of people still in the shelters?
SPENCER: We do have shelters still open and they'll remain open for the days or weeks as long as they need it. So the Red Cross is going to be here. And, also, as people return home, we have our emergency response vehicles who are going through the neighborhoods, providing a hot meal, especially for breakfast, and all the meals for the days to come.
But also we have our family services case workers who are meeting with the families right now, determining how these families need to be helped by the Red Cross.
COLLINS: And that's a good point. I want to make sure that we get some information out there to our viewers now about phone numbers and hot lines that you guys have set up. There on the screen now, 1- 866-GET-INFO. And that is a Red Cross victim's hot line where people can call and get some information about where to go and what to do in this situation.
Another one below that, 1-800-HELP-NOW. So people can call those and talk to the Red Cross folks, right, Michael?
SPENCER: Right. And we desperately need their help. We're helping families in eight states just because of these tornadoes right now.
COLLINS: Wow.
SPENCER: And with more storms expected today, we need help in our disaster relief fund so we can help these people.
COLLINS: All right, hopefully people will call in and offer you the help that you need.
Michael Spencer, thanks so much for your work and for also being with us this morning from the Red Cross in Moore, Oklahoma.
SPENCER: Thank you, Heidi.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Tornadoes>
Aired May 9, 2003 - 08:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yet again today, Oklahoma City waking up to extensive damage from tornadoes yesterday. Three hundred homes destroyed, 300 others damaged. It's going to be a long day and a long weekend of cleaning up there. Forecasters say the skies should be clear today. But after midnight, conditions, we are told, right yet again for more severe weather there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And just north of there, Kansas is cleaning up now, too. Lawrence, Kansas took the brunt of yesterday's storms. There was extensive damage there to about 40 homes and six apartment buildings. As you know, the University of Kansas is there, as well. About 100 people are now homeless.
The good news in all of this, though, and the amazing news is that no one was killed.
HEMMER: Yes, isn't that right?
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Especially after the storms we saw earlier in the week. That is really the silver lining right now.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: We want to get you straight away to Oklahoma, the town of Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
Brian Cabell is there live this morning for us -- Brian, how are things with daylight now?
Good morning.
BRIAN CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we can see a little bit more of the damage now, Bill. We don't see too many of the residents walking around just yet. We expect that through the morning and afternoon.
But take a look behind me over there. See that traffic back there? That's I-35, a major interstate. Beyond that, you can see some roofs that were damaged. That is where the tornado crossed. It crossed over I-35. This over here, this building right here is a dental building. There were about six or seven people in the office yesterday, including a couple of patients, when the tornado came through. This car in front here overturned. It was thrown about 50 yards and then overturned. We just talked to the mother of the, one of the owners. She's all right. All seven people who were inside, we're told, were all right.
This storm was not as severe as the one four years ago, but it took almost precisely the same path.
The figures as we have them right now, the latest ones, and they will be updated throughout the day, 300 homes and buildings destroyed. Anywhere from 300 to 1,500 damaged. We are hearing varying figures at this point. One hundred twenty-five people injured, 12 of them seriously. So far no deaths as far as we know, and, again, that is the miraculous aspect of this.
The dollar estimate, we don't have that yet. FEMA officials will be out today to give us a better idea. The governor will be out here by helicopter. In fact, we saw a helicopter just a little while ago, so we may get a better idea.
A General Motors plant not far from here was seriously damaged. Also, Tinker Air Force Base also seriously damaged. And as you can see, the houses here behind me, these are brick houses back here, absolutely wiped out. The brick is crumbling. The roofs are gone. But, again, the amazing thing here, and it may be because there was adequate warning yesterday. We're told the media was giving, were giving warning some 30 minutes before this tornado came through. So people were able to find some safety.
Nobody, as far as we know, was killed yesterday in this tornado -- Bill.
HEMMER: Brian, thanks.
Brian Cabell there in Oklahoma.
They call it Tornado Alley for a reason.
COLLINS: Yes, they certainly do.
HEMMER: Folks there have seen a lot of that.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.
Chad Myers has been following the paths of all of these powerful storms. Now, he's at the CNN Center with the very latest.
I think you said, Chad, 243 tornadoes in all.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So far.
COLLINS: Which beats the previous record that I found here...
MYERS: Oh, yes.
COLLINS: ... 159. It beats it by a mile.
MYERS: It sure does. You know, and we could add a few to that number, Heidi, and we could subtract a few from that number. Typically it comes down a couple because you've got one guy looking at the storm from one side of the county and another guy looking at it from the other and they get counted double. But as the Weather Service goes out and checks the storms, they'll actually have a better number, probably in about a week. But it's not going to change much.
(NATIONAL WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: More severe weather today. It pops up this evening and overnight right through Oklahoma City, right through Kansas City, right through Kansas. Again, another cay of storms. But it's going to end. By Sunday it's all over and the pattern changes. I'll tell you what in 25 minutes.
COLLINS: Oh, thank goodness for that.
HEMMER: Two days away.
COLLINS: Something to look forward to on Mother's Day, too.
All right, very good.
Chad Myers, thanks so much for the update.
Relief efforts are already under way now because of all the storms earlier in the week.
Michael Spencer is a member of the Red Cross Rapid Response Team.
He is joining us this morning from Moore, Oklahoma.
Thanks for being here, Michael.
I want to ask you, we know at least 600 homes in that area have either been completely destroyed or severely damaged. What does it look like to you?
MICHAEL SPENCER, RED CROSS RAPID RESPONSE TEAM: That's right, Heidi. I just came back from Missouri and it's the same picture here in Moore, Oklahoma. This tornado has once again torn lives completely apart and the Red Cross is here to help these people get back on their feet.
COLLINS: I know that there are also some mental health workers in the area to help deal with, I would imagine, the people's spirit and their state of mind.
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
SPENCER: Sure. Our mental health workers are roaming through the neighborhoods right now. You'll see a couple behind me and to the left. And what they are doing, they are talking to these people as they come home, as people try to salvage the last few things they can save, if there's anything at all they can save. And this is a very traumatic experience for these people because just four years ago they were hit almost the same area. And that's why our mental health counselors are roaming through all the neighborhoods, making sure these people have someone to talk to when they need to. COLLINS: It's almost like a re-traumatization. How are the people holding up, in your mind?
SPENCER: You know, when the sun came up this morning, I was in shock and so was the rest of the town. You know, new damage, the same homes that happened before. But these people rebuilt four years ago and they'll rebuild today with our help.
COLLINS: And your help includes many different areas, but I'm wondering mostly about the shelters. Are a lot of people still in the shelters?
SPENCER: We do have shelters still open and they'll remain open for the days or weeks as long as they need it. So the Red Cross is going to be here. And, also, as people return home, we have our emergency response vehicles who are going through the neighborhoods, providing a hot meal, especially for breakfast, and all the meals for the days to come.
But also we have our family services case workers who are meeting with the families right now, determining how these families need to be helped by the Red Cross.
COLLINS: And that's a good point. I want to make sure that we get some information out there to our viewers now about phone numbers and hot lines that you guys have set up. There on the screen now, 1- 866-GET-INFO. And that is a Red Cross victim's hot line where people can call and get some information about where to go and what to do in this situation.
Another one below that, 1-800-HELP-NOW. So people can call those and talk to the Red Cross folks, right, Michael?
SPENCER: Right. And we desperately need their help. We're helping families in eight states just because of these tornadoes right now.
COLLINS: Wow.
SPENCER: And with more storms expected today, we need help in our disaster relief fund so we can help these people.
COLLINS: All right, hopefully people will call in and offer you the help that you need.
Michael Spencer, thanks so much for your work and for also being with us this morning from the Red Cross in Moore, Oklahoma.
SPENCER: Thank you, Heidi.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Tornadoes>
