News says you've been getting your share of tornadoes recently and there is extensive damage, I hope you guys escaped all that and are doing OK.....

 

Good thoughts for all those affected by the tornadoes in OK!!!

 

My heartfelt prayers going out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy

 

Thoughts and prayers Oklahoma.

 

I certainly am praying all our members/friends in the Moore area are safe.

 

My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and friends.

 

Good thoughts from the Western PA mountains to all affected by the tornadoes.

 

Even though we're a distance away, we've read about and seen the devastation that parts of your state have experienced and our thoughts are with you during these challenging times.

~ Bugjr ~ Mid-West Ontario, Canada

 

Prayers go out to the people in Newcastle and Moore

 

Yes, prayers for all that were involved. We know plenty of people down that way, but all appear to be ok.

We, here in Skiatook, dodged that bullet but apparently it was a close one. Several of you know that my shop has a storm shelter, and we've given keys to the neighbors so they can use it. We were in Germany (just got back tonight) but the Weather Channel warnings kept waking us up. Then we got a note from the next door neighbor. He and another neighbor both saw a wall cloud with rotation about a mile west of the house, and all of them went to the shelter. Fortunately the tornado didn't come down, but I've seen plenty of pictures of it proving it was there.

 

Hey OKC FTE members,

If you guys and gals are able to read this, our thoughts and prayers are with you from New Jersey. We know what it is like when Mother Nature kicks into high gear. Things can be replaced. Good luck and stay safe.

Jersey Strong,
FordmanNJ

 

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. My family is alive and well. The tornado came within a quarter mile of our apartment. I really thought my wife and son got hit by it. But by the grace of God it missed them. I didnt know that and was trying to get to them. I followed the tornado in and ended up in a neighborhood and couldnt drive any further. After helping someone get a wall off their storm shelter door i took off running south. i made it a couple blocks and heard a lady yelling on top of what looked like a pile of brick. I climbed up to her and she was screaming get the kids. i then saw 10 or so kids in a line in a hallway in the middle of the rubble. It was Plaza Towers Elementary. A teenage boy started handing me kids. My hat goes off to the first officer on the scene. He arrived within a few minutes and quickly organized all of us into a chain gang to get kids out. We soon figured out some more kids were under the wall. Several of us broke off to find jacks and search the rest of the school. It hit me I still didn't get to my kid. I took off running then got a text from my wife saying they were safe. I dropped to the ground for a minute, collected myself and ran back to the school. Once emergency responders had control I went back towards my truck searching houses and cars for any people I could find. The rest is all over the news of course.

I don't want anyone to think I saved lives or am a hero. I simply followed my instinct and God put me in a place to help, the heros stayed there and busted butt to save those kids. God Bless the teachers that put themselves between their kids and danger. God bless everyone that has pulled together and helped out from around the world.

 

I'm going to say thank you as well. Like SwOkcOffRoader, we were less than a 1/4 mile North of the tornado on the East side of I-35. We got lucky as we were spared and I'm so glad I was at home working so I was able to make sure my wife and daughter were safe. Unfortunately, because of the insane amounts of traffic present less than 10 minutes after the tornado, I was unable to go help because I couldn't get through.

 

That's by my grandmothers house, she lives between the tracks and Moore high on E Main st. Luckily she only got debris at her place. This has been one hellish week. Another big thank you out to the responders and volunteers. I was at the Plaza Towers memorial Saturday. Someone seen how emotional I got and asked if I was there. So I told a group of volunteers my story and showed them where we were pulling kids out. One of them asked how Oklahoma will get back to normal, I told him its all thru good people like them reaching out and helping however they can. That's how we did it in '99. I seen people from all over that afternoon, including some NY Fire Department guys. It's really great seeing all of the outreach.

 

Time to update this thread. I've been in and around OK all my life, but I've never seen as many tornados as are popping up (or maybe down) as I've seen this evening. And the guy on TV said the evening is far from over here in the T-town area as the cold front hasn't yet gotten here.

So, Yaga and SwOKC, how are you guys doing? Did the tornado go north of you? Anyone else?

Here the tornados have gone north of us to this point, probably 15 miles for the closest one. But, there's a storm SW of Tulsa and it might drop tornados. So, Bruno & Jstitts, how are things down there?