A police officer uses a K-9 partner dog to search for a missing child near the lake shore after a tornado ripped through the Falcon Lake area of Piedmont, Oklahoma May 24, 2011. | (Photo: Reuters / Bill Waugh)
The death toll of the tornado that hit Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas has risen to 13 on Wednesday. Days before, an EF-5 tornado left at least 124 people in Joplin, Missouri dead. Yesterday, a total of 36 tornadoes devastated towns in seven states along the Midwest. In Oklahoma, police and civilian volunteers are searching for a three-year-old boy missing after a severe storm ripped through his home in Piedmont, Oklahoma on Tuesday. More than 500 people have been killed in this historic tornado season so far, according to figures released by local authorities and the National Weather Service. Previously, the deadliest tornado season on record was in 1953 when 519 people died.
"Our hearts go out to those who lost their loved ones in the storms last night, and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all the families and communities that have been affected," Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in a public statement Wednesday. "These historic storms have highlighted the incredible resolve of the American people, especially the first responders, emergency workers, firefighters, volunteers and neighbors who have been working around the clock for days to respond to these storms and conduct search and rescue efforts. Their efforts have been extraordinary."
A woman participates in the search for missing children after a tornado ripped through the Falcon Lake area of Piedmont, Oklahoma May 24, 2011. Several tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon, the largest one striking El Reno, west of Oklahoma City, and continuing to the northeast, the National Weather Service said. | (Photo: Reuters / Bill Waugh)A police officer looks over a home after a tornado ripped through the Falcon Lake area of Piedmont, Oklahoma on May 24, 2011.Ken Haebaum stands in his mud-splattered kitchen after a tornado ripped through the Falcon Lake area of Piedmont, Oklahoma May 24, 2011. Haebaum and his wife sought shelter from the tornado in the hallway behind the door on the right side of the photo. Several tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon, the largest one striking El Reno, west of Oklahoma City, and continuing to the northeast, the National Weather Service said. The living room is seen in the background. | (Photo: Reuters / Bill Waugh)
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
Was this article helpful?
Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.
By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.
