Massive tornado hitting Oklahoma City (updated)
Daylight has come to Oklahoma City and while flooding and wind damage are widespread, it is nowhere near as bad as the tornado that hit the area on May 20. It now appears that the worst hit area was 800km away near St Louis Missouri. Updates continue.
Daylight has come to Oklahoma City and while flooding and wind damage are widespread, it is nowhere near as bad as the tornado that hit the area on May 20. It now appears that the worst hit area was 800km away near St Louis Missouri. Updates continue.
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Radar showing storm hitting Oklahoma City at about 7:30am Bangkok time.
Night
Flooding has been hampering rescue and clean-up work. Photo by Curtis Liles submitted to KFOR TV.
The death toll now stands at nine with at least 75 injured, not as bad as the May 20 tornado, but still devastating for an area that was struggling to recover from the first storm.
hamper – to stop someone or something from making progress or developing; to hinder ขัดขวาง, เป็นอุปสรรค
rescue – saving a person or animal from a dangerous or unpleasant situation การช่วยชีวิต
death toll – the number of people killed ยอดผู้เสียชีวิต
injured – hurt in an accident or attack ซึ่งได้รับบาดเจ็บ
devastating – upsetting or shocking ทำให้สะเทือนใจ
struggle – a difficult fight or an attempt to defeat someone การต่อสู้เพื่อความอยู่รอด
recover – to become healthy and fit again after an illness or injury การฟื้นไข้
Daybreak
The first live photo this morning showing damage at a technical school near La Reno where a tornado hit yesterday.
20:50 The major highways are open again in Oklahoma City but there is still water on side streets.
19:02 It is morning in Oklahoma City and the damage assessment is about to begin.
19:15 It has been light now for about an hour and the surprising news is that the worst damage appears to have occurred not in Oklahoma City, but near St Louis Missouri, about 800 kilometres away. There multiple homes have been destroyed or badly damaged.
Fortunately, for Oklahoma City, the tornadoes that touched down did so in rural areas with small populations. Thus, the damage cannot be compared with the Moore tornado of May 20.
rural – connected with the countryside outside big towns and cities ในชนบท, บ้านนอก
Massive tornados hit Oklahoma City
Many tornados have hit the Oklahoma area and as of 7:45, some are still on the ground in the capital Oklahoma City. The suburb Moore was, of course, almost completely devastated just 10 days ago, so a bad storm is the last thing the area needs. You can follow the storm live on CNN or, even better, here: http://kfor.com/on-air/live-streaming/ During an emergency like this, TV channels are required to include text as well as video, so you can see what people are saying with a slight delay.
I'll have details on the storm as soon as I get them
The scene from a rural area outside Oklahoma City before nightfall.
Packed roads are complicating the situation. KFOR video footage.
Floods are the big worry now. 30 minutes earlier, the photographer was in the basement of this house to escape a tornado. Now that basement is completely flooded.
Close up of tornado near El Reno, Oklahoma at the beginning of today's storms.
17:30 This story is about to come back to life as daybreak approaches. The death toll now stands at five and more than 50 or known to be injured. Photos and videos should start coming in within the next two hours, so I'll be back for more.
daybreak – the time of day when light first appears ฟ้าสาง, รุ่งสาง, รุ่งอรุณ, เช้ามืด
death toll – the number of people killed ยอดผู้เสียชีวิต
10:45am There are reports of widespread damage throughout the Oklahoma City area, but it appears far less serious than the massive tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma about 10 days ago. It is night, however, so it will be about seven or eight hours before daylight returns.
10:30am Rainfall levels are now exceeding 200mm in parts of Oklahoma City.
10:25am "We are a strong, courageous people with good neighbours. Tomorrow's going to be a better day," Mary Fallin tells Oklahoma citizens.
courageous – showing courage, the ability to do something dangerous, or to face pain or opposition, without showing fear กล้าหาญ
9:53am It is night in Oklahoma City, power is out in much of the city. Major highways are completely congested and floodwaters are rising rapidly. "Historic" flooding is possible, says KFOR's meteorologist. Flooding, of course, is usually the biggest killer in storm situations, so there is grave concern. Rainfall is expected to continue for at least two more hours.
The photos in the morning (evening our time) are going to be dramatic.
congested – too blocked or crowded and causing difficulties แน่นขนัด
meteorologist – a scientist who studies the weather and makes predictions นักอุตุนิยมวิทยา
grave – very serious; very dangerous วิกฤติ, ร้ายแรง
concern – a worry ความกังวล
dramatic – exciting and impressive ตื่นเต้นเร้าใจ
9:15am Meteorologists now say the tornado threat has greatly diminished in the Oklahoma City area and the extent of the damage should start to be come clear shortly. Heavy rains continue and flood damage appears to be severe. Heavy hail has also been reported.
That is what baseball-size hail looks like. Photo by Christi Owen submitted to KFOR TV.
An experienced storm chaser from the Weather Channel was hit by one of the tornadoes when it made an unexpected turn. Fortunately, he was in a specially-made reinforced vehicle.
The mayor of Moore, the suburban city devastated by a huge tornado a week ago, reports that the city was hit again – this time by heavy flooding as well as the storm. Power is out through most of the city. "Unbelievable," he said.
threat – a danger อันตราย
diminish – to gradually become less ลดลง, อ่อนแรง
extent – area or length; amount
hail – a lot small balls of ice that fall like rain ลูกเห็บ
suburban – of an area or town near a large city but away from its centre ชานเมือง
devastate – to destroy a place or thing completely or cause great damage ทำลายล้าง
8:37am The first deaths have been reported, a mother and baby whose car was thrown from the road they were travelling on.
8:30am The storms keep coming and coming, says Chad Myer, CNN meteorologist. The hot, humid weather has made the atmosphere explosive, he says. One huge problem is that the roads are clogged with people trying to flee the storm, putting them in extreme danger.
Multiple tornadoes have hit the area. The latest to hit ground is at Norman, Oklahoma just outside the capital. The state university appears to be in its path. It's "a monsoon, tornado and hurricane" a KFOR TV reporters just said. There is heavy flooding in some areas.
The first reports of injuries are coming. There are a lot of them.
complicate – to make something more difficult to deal with, do or understand ทำให้ยาก, ทำให้ซับซ้อน
meteorologist – a scientist who studies the weather and makes predictions นักอุตุนิยมวิทยา
humid – hot and wet in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable ที่ร้อนชื้น
atmosphere – the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth บรรยากาศรอบโลก