OKLAHOMA CITY -
Oklahoma under siege, again;
a second tornado outbreak in as many weeks takes more lives, and destroys more
homes. And this time, a double whammy, as rising floodwaters leave homes, cars,
and roads swamped.
News 9 is learning new
information on the deadly storms that tore across the state Friday. The Medical
Examiner's office confirms nine fatalities from Friday's tornadoes. The
Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office confirms another from flooding. And a drowning
in Okfuskee County brings the total to 11.
That includes two
children. The chief medical examiner says they don't know who two of the
victims are and are working to identify them. Several of those deaths were
people caught in their cars one of the worst places to be during a severe
storm.
The interstates around
Oklahoma City were packed with vehicles as tornadoes barreled down the Interstate
40 corridor. It crumpled cars like aluminum cans and Saturday night emergency
managers put out another warning about trying to outrun a storm in your car.
It was gridlock on I-40, I-35,
I-44 and I-240 as thousands of people attempted to make it home before the storms
hit.
"It's hard to get out
there and help when we have tens-of-thousands of people who are outside
stranded," said Oklahoma County Emergency Manger, David Barnes.
Complete Coverage: May 2013 Tornado Outbreak
Troopers, deputies and
police officers frantically tried getting people off the roads and into
shelter. Barnes says many people waited too long to make their move.
"If a watch is issued, a
tornado watch or a severe thunderstorm watch, that means I get my radar
information. I get my local forecast. I get my radio tuned where it needs to be.
I start making my move to shelter," said Barnes.
Tragically several people
lost their lives, including a woman and her young child when their cars were
tossed by the tornadoes. Barnes says if you are caught in your vehicle during a
tornado outbreak, get out.
"I am safer in a ditch or
a low-lying area than I am in my vehicle. That's a very difficult call because
people don't want to get out in the rain. They don't want to get out in the
hail," said Barnes.
Mayor Mick Cornett echoed
some of those points, saying we have to learn from last night's storms.
"Hopefully next time
there's a major weather event, people will be at home or at least be in one
place and won't be on the roads trying to get from one place to another," said
Cornett.
You have to prepare and
make your move early. If you're out in public for some reason, the experts say
to look for a small building made of rock or brick for shelter. They say chances
of surviving in your car are slim.
It was gridlock on I-40, I-35, I-44 and I-240 as thousands of people attempted to make it home before the storms hit.
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