Tornado disaster blows through Oklahoma

Oklahoma tornados

Tornadoes are such a random occurring disaster, but how do we deal with them once they have struck? Moore, Oklahoma is a city that is well versed with the repercussions of tornadoes in the area. Devastating tornadoes are an element that many precautionary tasks are completed to ensure the safety of their town. May 19, 2013, a two-mile-wide tornado stayed on the ground for 40 minutes and dug up a 22-mile path throughout local neighborhoods and ended up in devastating loss. This particular tornado was rated at an EF4 which is the second highest level of a tornado on the zero to five level scale. A town that has always believed in their ability to be prepared for disasters such as these is now questioning how they could have ever been ready for what happened. Sadly, there were at least 51 people that were found to not make it through this tragedy and at least 20 of these people were children. Plaza Towers Elementary School sheltered 75 students and staff members but sadly, 7 of the deaths were in this school. At least 145 people were injured in this storm and were reported getting treated at three different local hospitals.

Although the storming and tornado chaos is over, there is still much work to be done. The electricity loss is at a count of at more than 38,000 customers that are without power. The process of even beginning to return power seems like a never ending process, but they need to start from somewhere.  Crews of rescue and search members have been digging through debris and rubble trying to find any survivors. There are many sad stories from the survivors and many people are injured but the town is standing strong and sticking together through this mess. At this time people have to begin to deal with their traumas, clear the debris, and rebuild their homes from the ground. Unfortunately this is going to be a long and difficult process because many of these families have lost everything. Some of the families have lived in their neighborhoods for over 15 years and they now have to deal with the fact that their whole life has been ripped away from them and turned into ruins.

Many of the people who were in the tragic tornado had places to hideaway to get out of danger, but did not know how long they may be there. Two days after the tornado has struck, the city is still digging through debris, finding people in their hideouts but unable to get out on their own which just signifies how important having a safety plan can be. Preparation is the key component to survival because once disaster strikes, it is too late to do anything. Some of the survivors will think about how they can stock up on survival foods, flashlights, matches, candles, and any other items that will help them stay safe. Think about what you can do to prepare for these types of events and decide what you will do in your next step of preparation.