OK Tornado Expected to Rank Among 5 Costliest in U.S. History

Less than a week ago, a series of tornadoes caused several deaths in Texas, and last night, a single EF-4 tornado, reportedly a mile-wide in diameter with winds reaching 200 miles per hour, has claimed 24 lives in Moore, Okla., which lies just south of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Early damage predictions are unspecific, but several expect the number to rival a tornado that struck Moore, Okla., in 1999, which resulted in 36 deaths, 8,132 damaged or destroyed homes and 260 such businesses, leading to $1.4 billion in damages.

The estimated death toll has varied from 51, which was the widely reported number last night, to speculation that it had climbed to 90, before a spokesperson for the state medical examiner’s office revised the official number to 24 this morning.

According to reports, the tornado was on the ground for 40 minutes and left a path of damage more than 20 miles long.

The National Weather Service office in Tulsa, Okla., reported seeing light tornado debris falling in the Tulsa metro area, likely from the Moore area. Tulsa is 100 miles east-northeast of Moore.