Reportedly, five people were killed in their vehicles – in El Reno and Union City, Okla. – after violent tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma City again on Friday, May 31. During evening rush hour, the twister rampaged down Interstate 40 tipping over trucks, hurling bales of hay and destroying cars and tractor trailers.
More than 86,000 residents found themselves without power. It was described as having “hurricane like conditions” with 80-90mph winds, leading authorities to warn residents to stay home and the interstate was shut down. Once the winds reached 40mph, 1,200 people were evacuated at Will Rogers World Airport. They scrambled to the basement and immediately took safety measures: kneeling on the ground and placing their hands over their heads for protection.
Tornadoes don’t discriminate. A mother and baby were sucked out of their car by a tornado and killed. Weather Channel Meteorologist Mike Bette was on a tornado hunt and his car was thrown 200 yards.
In a state of panic, more people jumped in their cars to escape the storms, eventually finding themselves stuck in traffic and in the tornado’s path.
“For reasons that are not clear to me, more people took to the roads, more than we expected. Everyone acted differently in this storm, and as a result, it created an extremely dangerous situation. I think we are still a little shaken by what happened in Moore. We are still burying children and victims, so our emotions are still strong,” Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said in a statement to press.
