On May 20, 2013, the city of Moore, Oklahoma was hit by a devastating tornado. The Sooner State is known as a mecca for severe weather but as KOCO 5 News chief meteorologist Damon Lane says, “When they say tornado emergency, people are going to die.”
At its peak, the EF5 tornado was moving at 210 mph. 24 people died from the tornado, 377 were injured. An estimated 1,150 homes were destroyed resulting in an $2 billion in damages. Among the hardest hit were two elementary schools: Briarwood Elementary and Plaza Towers Elementary. Seven children were killed at Plaza Towers which had no storm shelter. Since the tornado of 2013, with a $209 million bond issue, the Moore school district has put storm shelters in the 23 schools that don’t have them. The In an Instant episode “Tragedy in Tornado Alley,” which includes an interview with meterologist Lane, will air on Saturday, June 18 at 9pm on ABC.
