[Update] NYT is reporting at least 90 are believe to have lost their lives in this horrendous tragedy.
Original post below
According to television news reports, 51 people have lost their lives after a devastating tornado ripped through parts of Oklahoma.
24 so far are children from an elementary school that was leveled. Reports say over 80 are injured and receiving hospital care, 65 of them children, 20 adults.
Those numbers will be updated as information becomes available.
ABC:
A mammoth tornado carved a trail of destruction through the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, killing at least 51 people and ripping apart two elementary schools today, local authorities said.
David Barnes, the director of Oklahoma Emergency Management in Oklahoma County, told ABC News that a single twister tore through homes from Newcastle to Moore, a path of 12 miles. The damage was "widespread" and people's homes were completely destroyed, all the way to their foundations, he said.
At least 51 people have been confirmed dead in the storm's aftermath, according to the Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office.
"It is absolutely devastating, this is horrific," Oklahoma Lt. Gov Todd Lamb said. "We're going to have fatalities. ... We're going to have significant injuries. ... We just don't know what those numbers are. Schools have been hit, a hospital has been hit, businesses have been flattened, neighborhoods have been wiped away -- we don't have the numbers in yet but it is going to be significant and it is going to be horrific."
Search and rescue teams to work through the night.
Resources To Help Survivors Moore, Oklahoma Tornado
Keep your eye on the Red Cross site with updated news of shelters opening.
If you would like information on how to donate to the American Red Cross click here
If you would like to donate to the Salvation Army's relieve efforts Do this:click here
For those who may be looking for lost loved ones, click here to register their names or to check to see if they have registered.
If you have a friend or family member in need of shelter in the area, :click here for a list of Red Cross Shelters.
The University of Oklahoma has also opened up residence halls to displaced families. Call 405-325-2511 for more information.
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