MOORE, Okla. -- The search for missing people has come to an end, as everyone who was missing has now been accounted for.
The total death toll is 24. Among them, 10 were children and two were infants.
The mother of a 10-year-old boy who was killed when the tornado directly hit his elementary school says there needs to be emergency shelters in every school.
Earlier coverage:
MOORE, OK -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited the tornado-ravaged town of Moore, Oklahoma. Napolitano is the highest ranking federal officer to tour the devastation left behind by Monday's EF-5 twister. Napolitano comments, "we know that people are really hurting, there is still a recovery yet to do."
Through the images of destruction that continue to emerge, today we have a clearer picture of the 24 people who lost their lives. Among them were 2 infants, only 4 and 7 months old. The casualties include 10 children, 7 of them were from Plaza Towers Elementary School.
Plaza Towers and Briarwood Elementary School were leveled by the storm and there were no safe rooms. These two schools were not given FEMA funding which would have allowed them to build a safe place for students and faculty to ride out storms.
Today, many families are wishing they were among those sharing stories of survival. Instead, the community is coming together to clean debris from the town's cemetery in preparation for two dozen funerals.
The estimated damage exceeds $2 billion dollars.
Earlier coverage:
MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- Parents and guardians of children whose elementary schools were damaged in the deadly tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City area are hoping for happy reunions.
At least 20 children are among the more than 50 reported dead so far in Moore, an Oklahoma City suburb ravaged Monday afternoon by a tornado with winds up to 200 mph. Officials said early Tuesday the death toll could rise by as many as 40.
Many parents seeking their children gathered at a suburban church, listening intently as someone with a bullhorn called out the names of children who were being dropped off. For many families, the ordeal ended in tears of joy. Others were left to wait in the darkness, hoping for good news while fearing the worst.
To help victims of the Moore, Okla., tornado disaster, text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
The total death toll is 24. Among them, 10 were children and two were infants.
The mother of a 10-year-old boy who was killed when the tornado directly hit his elementary school says there needs to be emergency shelters in every school.
Earlier coverage:
MOORE, OK -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited the tornado-ravaged town of Moore, Oklahoma. Napolitano is the highest ranking federal officer to tour the devastation left behind by Monday's EF-5 twister. Napolitano comments, "we know that people are really hurting, there is still a recovery yet to do."
Through the images of destruction that continue to emerge, today we have a clearer picture of the 24 people who lost their lives. Among them were 2 infants, only 4 and 7 months old. The casualties include 10 children, 7 of them were from Plaza Towers Elementary School.
Plaza Towers and Briarwood Elementary School were leveled by the storm and there were no safe rooms. These two schools were not given FEMA funding which would have allowed them to build a safe place for students and faculty to ride out storms.
Today, many families are wishing they were among those sharing stories of survival. Instead, the community is coming together to clean debris from the town's cemetery in preparation for two dozen funerals.
The estimated damage exceeds $2 billion dollars.
Earlier coverage:
MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- Parents and guardians of children whose elementary schools were damaged in the deadly tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City area are hoping for happy reunions.
At least 20 children are among the more than 50 reported dead so far in Moore, an Oklahoma City suburb ravaged Monday afternoon by a tornado with winds up to 200 mph. Officials said early Tuesday the death toll could rise by as many as 40.
Many parents seeking their children gathered at a suburban church, listening intently as someone with a bullhorn called out the names of children who were being dropped off. For many families, the ordeal ended in tears of joy. Others were left to wait in the darkness, hoping for good news while fearing the worst.
To help victims of the Moore, Okla., tornado disaster, text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.