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Mother and child among 5 killed in Oklahoma tornadoes

Watch a video of the intense storm.

http://youtu.be/kOh9Ptz4w28

(YouTube: TornadoVideosdotnet)

TORNADOES KILLED AT least five people and wreaked massive damage late Friday in Oklahoma near the battered city of Moore, which is still recovering from a monster twister that hit less than two weeks ago.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death toll and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed a mother and child were killed as they travelled in their car on Interstate 40 near Oklahoma City.

At least 12 people were injured in the storm, with that number expected to rise, the agency told AFP.

Several people were hurt in crashes and overturned vehicles, including semi-trailers and trailers, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman Betsy Randolph told NBC television affiliate KFOR.

“It is a heartbreaking situation,” Randolph said.

Alonzo Adams/AP/Press Association Images

While storms continued to pass through the state, Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said, “they’re much less severe.” However, “there’s still a lot of flooding in areas,” she said, warning residents to stay off roads and avoid high water.

Weather forecasters lifted an emergency for parts of the tornado-prone midwestern state, though flash flood warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches remained in place.

National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma warned the severe weather was shifting eastward Saturday, with the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys set to receive the bulk of the storms.

“Some of the rainfall is expected to be quite heavy and a threat of severe weather will continue,” the weather center said on its website.

In Missouri, which borders the Mississippi River, Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency Friday night, urging “Missourians to closely monitor weather conditions, so they can take shelter or move to higher ground if needed.”

Reports said five twisters had struck the area around Oklahoma City, with winds of up to 90 miles (145 kilometers) per hour, accompanied by very large hail.

Flash floods also hit the area, the Tulsa World newspaper said.

Parts of Oklahoma City experience extreme flooding. (AP Photo/Nick Oxford)

One large tornado touched down west of Oklahoma City, the state’s biggest city, news reports said.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said earlier she was “heartsick” that Moore, struck by a powerful tornado on 20 May, could be hit once again.

“I’m very concerned right now,” Fallin told CNN.

I’m here across from the capitol and it is hailing and blowing and raining extremely hard. Our tornado sirens have gone off several times.

KFOR television, meanwhile, reported extensive damage around the cities of El Reno and Yukon. More than 170,000 people were said to have lost power in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Officials for Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport said on Twitter that passengers had been evacuated to an underground tunnel and that flights in and out had been suspended.

The Moore tornado affected a total of 33,000 people, with winds above 200 miles per hour.

Obama offers solace in tornado-ravaged Oklahoma

Photos: Oklahoma deals with destruction after worst tornado in decades

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    Mute David cotter
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:01 PM

    Bernie…Bernie come back ..we’re sorry don’t leave us with this muppit….

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:10 PM

    @David cotter: if it was Bernie v Trump…then Trump would definitely win…. he’ll probably win anyway but Bernie would make it a certainty.

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    Mute Corporate capitalism is killing us
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Trump would disagree with you. He’s on tape as saying Sanders would have beat him in 2016 and a lot of Trump voters would have voted for Sanders also.

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    Mute Benedict XVI
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:23 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: What on earth are you talking about? Every single recent poll has Bernie Sanders and Biden both beating Trump in a general election. Not even Fox News has Trump winning.

    https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:52 PM

    @Benedict XVI: would they be the same polls that had Hillary as a shoe in? Btw I’m no Trump supporter.

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:54 PM

    @Corporate capitalism is killing us: your actually using Trump as a basis for a credible story….

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    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
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    Apr 12th 2020, 3:00 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Biden is a bumbling clown who needs to retire, check his gaffes on YouTube. Bernie would be far stronger them sleepy Joe.

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    Mute David A. Murray
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    Apr 12th 2020, 3:01 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Biden’s greatest strength is that it is Trump he is going to be running against. Trump makes Biden’s weaknesses less blatant and Biden is a clear contrast to the type of president Trump is. If it was Biden competing against any other candidate, then I wouldn’t bet on Biden. But with Trump anything is possible (both for Trump and against Trump).

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    Mute Morning Gus
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    Apr 12th 2020, 4:14 PM

    @Benedict XVI: Don’t believe those polls and don’t be taking it too serious. You are most likely going to be disappointed when the results come in.

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    Mute Tom Doyle
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    Apr 12th 2020, 5:00 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Even though it hurts me to say this,i agree with you in saying that Biden has a much better chance than Bernie.Where I won’t agree with you is dissing the polls that Benedict put up,Trump is not up against Hillary this time.Also,he’ll struggle in the Rust Belt..

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 12th 2020, 6:47 PM

    @Corporate capitalism is killing us: brilliant, Trump saying that was to try to further divide a very fractured democrat party not an actual acknowledgement that he could have lost.

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    Mute david lydon
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    Apr 13th 2020, 7:09 AM

    @David cotter: Bernie is from Ireland? Or do you watch the West wing too much

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    Mute Patrick Paul
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    Apr 12th 2020, 3:15 PM

    I thought Democrats where bad when they selected Hillary Clinton as there presidential candidate 4 years but they’ve really outdone themselves this time round

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    Mute David Shiels
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:05 PM

    America always gets the politicians it deserves.

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    Mute Kevin O' Brien
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @David Shiels: This is a recurring theme for you, am I right? For the record, I like Joe Biden. I would have preferred Bernie.

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    Mute Ale Ceaser
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    Apr 12th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @David Shiels: Like us? Haughy, Cowan, Ahern, Adams etc.

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    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
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    Apr 12th 2020, 3:06 PM

    @Kevin O’ Brienhttps://youtu.be/-rUvUxynOgk

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    Mute Kevin O' Brien
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    Apr 12th 2020, 5:46 PM

    @Macus Mc Mahon: ok

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    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
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    Apr 12th 2020, 3:09 PM
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    Mute Kath Noonan
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    Apr 12th 2020, 6:06 PM

    Sanders making a habit of giving up. His voters must be p*ssed off at this.

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    Mute Gerald OBrien
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    Apr 12th 2020, 11:14 PM

    The only way Biden will win is if he has a decent vice president nomination or if the trump brigade give up on their chosen one. Biden has completely lost the left and continues to put his foot in it further.

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    Mute Mark Reid
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    Apr 13th 2020, 1:22 AM

    @Gerald OBrien the left have lost themselves

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