SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks. Submit Privacy Notice

Two killed, at least 29 injured after tornado hits El Reno Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WE WANT TO THANK ALL THE PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS AND WELL WISHES FROM EVERYBODY AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE STATE THAT HAS WISHED US WELL. WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES. WE HAVE SOME OF THEM WITH US TODAY AND GOVERNOR STITT. I APPRECIATE HIS CALL AND HIS HELP. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA AND THE NATION, WHERE ALL THE EYES WERE TURNED ON OUR SMALL COMMUNITY OF 20,000 PEOPLE. WE APPRECIATE THE LOVE AND THE SUPPORT AND CONCERN FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THE PEOPLE OF EL RENO GREATLY THOUGHT PROCESS AND YOUR WELL WISHING WORDS AND PRAYERS, YOUR PRAYERS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THANK YOU. I WANT TO GIVE SOME INFORMATION, AND THEN I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS. I WANT TO INTRODUCE SOME PEOPLE. THE FIRST ONE IS OUR CITY MANAGER, MR. JERRY FRASER. OUR SHERIFF, CHRIS WEST. OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, CHRIS BROWN. AND OUR FIRE CHIEF. THESE ARE GROUPS WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATING ON THE GROUND TO WORK ALONG WITH CANADIAN COUNTY. ANDREW HAS DONE A GREAT JOB BACK AND FORTH. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, OVER OUR YEARS IN SERVICE, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER WITH A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, AND I AM TELLING YOU THESE ARE OUTSTANDING MEN AND WOMEN IN ORDER TO MAKE THINGS WORK. IT WORKED WELL LAST NIGHT BECAUSE OF PARTNERSHIP. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT CAN SINK ANTHONY’S FROM AND ALL THE PEOPLE -- DEPARTMENT, SAINT ANTHONY’S, AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED. FROM ELK CITY TO HYDRO, TWO UNION CITY, TO EVERYWHERE ELSE. WE ARE ASKING EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE SCENE AS MUCH AS WE CAN. FIRST RESPONDERS ARE DOING THEIR JOB RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE TRAINED OFFICIALS. WE HAVE SOME THINGS WE ARE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU. WE’RE TRYING TO KEEP TRAFFIC DOWN. WE TRANSPORTED 16 FROM THE SCENE , 13 PRIVATE VEHICLE TRANSFERS ON TOP OF THAT. THOSE WERE FROM MINOR TO CRITICAL CONDITION. WE HAVE HAD TWO FATALITIES. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WILL TAKE CARE OF THE NOTIFICATIONS. THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE SCENE FOR SOME TIME. THEY ARE NOTIFYING. I WANT TO MAKE SURE -- THE REPORTERS ARE ASKING, ARE WE STILL DOING SEARCH RESCUE, AND YES, WE ARE. THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE SHERIFF, CHIEF BROWN, THEY MADE THE RIGHT CALL WHEN THEY CALLED IN THE URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM. THEY ARE GOING TO START AT THE THROUGH THAT AREA AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS. WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE HOTEL, MOTEL , THEY ARE ALL ACCOUNTED FOR. WE ARE CONCERNED WITH MAKING SURE THERE IS SOME COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS WE HAVE BACK AND FORTH, SO WE TRYING TO BRING IN TRANSLATORS. WE HAVE DONE THAT. WE ARE INTERVIEWING CERTAIN PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION. WE ARE TRYING TO GET THAT DONE, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP. HIGHWAY 81 WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH ODOT, BRIAN TAYLOR, TIM GATZ, AND TOMMY IN EL RENO. WE ARE GOING TO CLOSE IT DOWN. WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO OPEN THAT UP BY 5:00. OUR GOAL IS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO OPEN THAT UP. RICK SMITH, AND I KNOW KENT WORKS CLOSELY TOGETHER WITH NOAA, AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN. THEY ARE ASSESSING EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW. THEY HAVE NOT CATEGORIZED THIS AS A TORNADO. I THINK WE ARE SAFE TO SAY IT IS A TWO OR THREE. WE HAVE NOT CLASSIFIED THAT. NOAA WILL DO THAT. WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT ALL THE HELP AND PARTNERS WE HAVE HAD. THE COMMUNITY HAS STEPPED IN AND TAKEN THIS TRAGEDY AND SHOWN AND PROVED THEIR LOYALTY TO THEIR CITIZENS, THEIR PEOPLE. THESE PEOPLE ARE DISPLACED. IT IS A TRAGIC SCENE. IT IS TERRIBLE. WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. IT WILL TAKE TIME TO DO THAT. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911. CALL 262-6941. THAT IS THE NONEMERGENCY NUMBER. YOU CAN CONTACT US ON FACEBOOK OR OUR WEBSITE WITH QUESTIONS. I AM TRYING TO THINK WHAT ELSE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT. BASICALLY, WE THINK IT IS A TWO MILE PATH THAT STARTED AT SLUMBER J, THE OTHER SIDE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FORT RENO TRAILER PARK. I WAS IN A HELICOPTER EARLIER THIS MORNING. YOU OUGHT TO SEE THE DEBRIS. IT IS SEVERAL MILES WIDE. PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES. PEOPLE HAVE LOST EVERYTHING. YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE DEVASTATION OF THOSE POOR FAMILIES THAT WERE IN THAT TRAILER HOUSE. ON THE ISSUE OF TRANSPORTATION TO THOSE PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL, PEOPLE ARE STILL IN SURGERY RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK. WE NEED TO PRAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE . SOME ABSOLUTELY MAJOR ISSUES AT THIS POINT IN TIME. PRAY FOR OUR CITIZENS. EL RENO IS A RESILIENT COMMUNITY. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE WE HAVE JUST COME OFF OF A FLOOD IN THE LAST WEEK. IT HAS BEEN VERY TRYING FOR US AND OUR COMMUNITY. THE PEOPLE OF EL RENO ARE THE STRONGEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET IN OKLAHOMA. I AM A FOURTH GENERATION EL RENOITE. WE ARE CARING AND KIND. IT IS A VERY TRYING TIME FOR US. WE ARE GOING TO GET THROUGH. PLEASE BE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH US. WE HAVE SOAKED UP A SHELTER -- SET UP A SHELTER. RED CROSS IS ON THE GROUND. THEY SET UP SHOP AT THE VFW. THE VFW ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM. EVERYBODY IS PUTTING A FOOT FORWARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. WE ARE A FAMILY. WE ABOUT KNOW EVERYBODY WE WENT TO SCHOOL WITH. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT. I CANNOT THANK ENOUGH THE SHERIFF FOR HIS BACKUP AND ALL THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT CAME IN. I AM SO PROUD OF EL RENO’S TEAM. WE HAVE THE BEST MEN AND WOMEN WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND PUBLIC WORKS. EVERYBODY HAS BEEN INUNDATED WITH PROBLEMS THIS PAST WEEK. WE HAVE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. I THINK I HAVE COVERED EVERYTHING, CHIEF. ANYTHING ELSE, CHIEF? GO AHEAD. QUESTIONS. >> DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE MISSING? IS THERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR? >> WE KEEP SAYING THE WORD UNACCOUNTED FOR. I THINK THAT IS YOUR WORD, NOT OURS. WE ARE TRYING TO GET INFORMATION. THERE IS A LANGUAGE BARRIER WITH THE HISPANIC GROUP. WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE PROPER INFORMATION OF WHERE THEY ARE. WE THINK THE GREAT SEARCH WILL -- GRID SEARCH WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT. THAT IS THE MAIN THING. >> JUST TO BE CLEAR YOU SAID 16 TRANSPORTED MINOR TO SEVERE INJURIES? DID YOU SAY 13 IN PRIVATE TRANSFER IN ADDITION TO THAT 16TH? THE FULL ACCOUNT OF PEOPLE AFFECTED AT THIS TIME? >> INJURED WOULD BE THAT TOTAL AMOUNT OF 29 TOTAL. WE ALSO HAVE A BALLROOM OF DISPLACED PEOPLE AT THE VFW THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY CANNOT GO BACK IN. THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT. >> THAT MEANS THERE ARE 29 PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW? >> ALL WE CAN CONFIRM TO YOU, WE WANT TO BE SURE WE ARE CLEAR. WE ARE TELLING YOU WHAT WAS TRANSPORTED AT THAT POINT. THE MORNING. I AM JUST TELLING YOU WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE NUMBERS WE HAVE GOT. THOSE COULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED AT THIS POINT. WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THEY ARE HAVING SURGERY CURRENTLY ON CERTAIN PEOPLE AS WE SPEAK AT OU MEDICAL. I’M SORRY? >> DO YOU HAVE THE NAMES? >> WE DO NOT HAVE THOSE. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WILL HANDLE THAT SITUATION. WE ARE NOT HANDLING THAT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL NOTIFIED, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNICATION IS HANDLED THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS. >> YOU SET THE FOLKS IN THE HOTEL AND MOTEL HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. >> THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR, YES. WE HAVE TALKED TO THE MANAGER AND GOT SOME PAPERWORK. FROM EVERYTHING ELSE WE DID AND COMMUNICATION, WE CONFIRMED THAT. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CONFIRMED THAT TO YOU. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD WRAPPER INFORMATION. >> FROM THOSE THAT WERE INJUR, WHERE WERE THOSE FOUND? WAS IT AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS? >> THE MAIN CONCENTRATION OF THIS TORNADO WAS IN THAT AREA THE TORNADO STARTED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF INTERSTATE 40 AND TOOK OUT SOME STRUCTURES, SOME SIGNS, BUT THE MAIN CONCENTRATION WAS RICK JONES, ABSOLUTELY THE MOBILE HOME PARK AND THE MOTEL. IT WENT ACROSS 80 ONE HWY AND ACROSS 60 SIX HWY. THAT IS KIND OF WHERE EVERYTHING WAS CONCENTRATED. -- 81 HIGHWAY AND 66 HIGHWAY. THAT IS WHERE EVERYTHING WAS CONCENTRATED. THEY ARE CURRENTLY INTERVIEWING PEOPLE. WE WILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS ALL THE DATA COMES IN. >> AS REGARDS THE LANGUAGE BARRIER OF PEOPLE BEING SEARCHED. ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT TALKING BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIER OR BECAUSE OF THE NEGATIVE ATMOSPHERE? >> LET’S NOT TURN A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE. SOMETIMES THEY USE DIFFERENT NAMES. WE ARE GETTING DIFFERENT INFORMATION. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NAME OF THAT PERSON THAT WE HAVE TALKED TO THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR OR WHO HAS BEEN DISCOVERED THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. ABSOLUTELY, DON’T BE AFRAID. THEY DON’T NEED TO BE AFRAID OF ANYTHING. THIS COMMUNITY IS BROKEN HEARTED. WE ARE HURT. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY BEEN DEVASTATED. SEVERAL FAMILIES HAVE BEEN PUT OUT OF THEIR HOME. WE DON’T CARE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT EXCEPT EVERYBODY’S SAFETY AND WELL-BEING AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET HELP AND THAT EVERYBODY IS ACCOUNTED FOR. I KNOW THESE GENTLEMEN. I HAVE KNOWN THESE GENTLEMEN ALL MY LIFE. WE ARE ALL OF US ON THE SAME PAGE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE. THAT IS THEIR SWORN DUTY. ABSOLUTELY. YOU HAD A QUESTION. >> I KNOW YOU HAD TOLD THE PUBLIC TO STAY CLEAR OF WHERE THE TORNADO WENT THROUGH. TO HELP. ARE THEY FREE TO DROP OFF DONATIONS? >> THEY ARE. THAT IS A GOOD POINT. WE HAVE SET UP A GOFUNDME ACCOUNT, AND WE WILL SHARE THAT ON HER FACEBOOK PAGE AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, EVERYTHING ELSE. WE SET A LIMIT OF $1000. WE HAVE A LOT OF OIL COMPANIES THAT WANT TO DONATE. WE WANT THAT. WE HAVE SO MUCH WATER AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO HELP. WE WANT THEIR HELP. WE WANT TO GET THAT MONEY IN THE RIGHT POSITION. THESE PEOPLE HAVE LOST EVERYTHING. WE ARE ASKING FOR MONETARY MONEY AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT WILL BE EASIER TO GET THERE NEEDS THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT. I WILL TELL YOU, THE CHIEF, THESE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAD TO GET MEDICATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE. CHIEFLY GOLLY AND THE PEOPLE AT THE FW AND SAINT ANTHONY’S, SO WE GOT THEM THE MEDICATION THEY NEED. ALL OF THAT IS GONE NOW. ALL THE BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION AND INSULIN, THAT IS GONE. WE SET UP A GOFUNDME ACCOUNT. WE WILL PUT THAT ON OUR DEAL. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP, WE WILL GET THAT MONEY TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE TORNADO. >> THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL INJURIES OF YOUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND WHAT IT IS LIKE WORKING AROUND. >> I PROBABLY CAN’T BECAUSE I WILL GET EMOTIONAL, BUT I AM GOING TO TRY. AND I AM GOING TO TELL YOU, THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING THEIR TAIL OFF. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH SITUATION AFTER SITUATION, AND THEY HAVE GONE NONSTOP. DURING THE FLOODING, THEY HAD OVER 40 BOAT RESCUES. THE SHERIFF HAS PITCHED IN. WE HAVE EVERYBODY SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE WORLD ON THIS DEAL, AND IN THIS TORNADO HAPPENS. THE THING ABOUT THE LORENA IS WE ARE MORE THAN A COMMUNITY. WE ARE A FAMILY. I THINK IT IS A PROVEN FACT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THIS. IT IS SO STATING TO SEE THE LOSS AND TO DO THAT. CHIEF BROWN AND I WERE CLEARING THE ROOMS ALONG WITH PEOPLE RIGHT BEHIND US. IT IS ALL HANDS ON DECK. OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, EVEN OUR PUBLIC WORKS WERE OUT THERE CLEARING ELECTRICAL LINES. THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE OUTSTANDING IN EVERYTHING THAT IS THROWN AT US, THESE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE TAKEN THAT CHALLENGE AND RISK THEIR OWN LIVES ON THAT TWO-STORY MOTEL. THEY HAVE RISKED THEIR OWN LIVES ON PICKING UP WALLS OF DEBRIS TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOBODY UNDERNEATH. I HAVE WITNESSED A PARTNERSHIP,