Tornado in Moore, Oklahoma

After getting all set up in our campground yesterday afternoon we were watching local television and they were on severe storm watch mode watching a strong cell to the southwest.  They had storm chasers tracking the storm and from their cameras we actually watched the funnel form and touch the ground near Bridge Creek, OK.  The projected path was heading toward our campground and the sighting was probably 18-20 miles away traveling at about 25 mph.  The town of Moore where the greatest damage occurred is about 13 miles WSW of our campground and the storms path was in an ENE direction.

We closed up the trailer and jumped into the truck for a quick drive directly South in order to avoid it's path.  We found a parking lot at a safe distance where we parked with our radio on listening to the description of the storms movements while tracking the storm on Oklahoma maps.  Where the tornado finally lifted it was only about 6 miles away from our trailer.  When we drove back to the trailer there had only been some leaves knocked off the trees but no major limb damage and utilities still in operation.

The local television stations have been on air since then with continuous coverage of the recovery work.  At the location of the elementary school where there are known students and teachers missing they continue to dig through the rubble as well as searching house to house hoping to help anyone in a storm shelter that might have been covered with debris.

While we were too close to this storm for comfort yesterday we sure hope that all our friends and family are safe from the remainder of this years storms.