THE OKLAHOMAN THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011
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Finding hope after storm AT LEAST NINE DEAD · SEARCH FOR BOY CONTINUES · CLEANUP BEGINS BY BRYAN DEAN AND JANE GLENN CANNON Staff Writers
Those who lost homes in Tuesday’s tornadoes picked through the remnants of their lives Wednesday as the death toll from the storms continued to climb. Nine people have died from storm-related injuries, officials said. The search continued Wednesday for a missing 3-yearold boy in the Piedmont area whose 15-month-old brother was among the dead. The dead include: I Cole Hamil, 15 months, of Piedmont. I Laron Short, 24, of Chickasha. Three people, a man and two women, were killed along Interstate 40 two miles west of the Calumet exit in Canadian County. Nearby, a teenage girl and a 22-year-old man were killed near U.S. 66 and Courtney Road. A 63year-old man and a 58year-old woman were killed near Cashion in far southwest Logan County. Authorities are still trying to identify some of the victims and have not released the names of others pending the notification of their families. National Weather Service officials said at least seven tornadoes struck Oklahoma on Tuesday, leaving paths of destruction that ranged from four to 75 miles. Weather teams were still in the field assessing damage Wednesday, but officials said preliminary information shows four of the tornadoes will be rated at least EF3, which means they had wind speeds of at least 136 to 165 miles per hour. The number of confirmed tornadoes and EF ratings could increase as more information is gathered, officials said.
Miranda Lewis makes the best of a bad situation Wednesday as she models a dress that was undamaged by Tuesday’s tornado that destroyed her family’s home west of El Reno. Read more about Lewis on Page 5A. PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
Missing boy, 3, was in bathtub when storm hit SEARCH | PIEDMONT TODDLER’S MOTHER, SISTER INJURED; YOUNGER BROTHER KILLED BY ROBERT MEDLEY AND DAVID ZIZZO Staff Writers
A tattered flag waves Wednesday outside Charles and Susan Sleeper’s home, which was destroyed by Tuesday’s tornado west of El Reno. PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
Families mourn Short’s aunt, Donna Gunkel, combed through the wreckage of a mobile home in Chickasha on Wednesday, searching for photographs and other mementos of her niece, who was killed when a tornado hit while she was visiting her mother. “She was just trying to take care of her mama,” Gunkel said. “They didn’t have a vehicle and no place to go. She just stepped out SEE TORNADOES, PAGE 3A
Tornado survivors give thanks for what matters: one another BY BRYAN PAINTER Staff Writer bpainter@opubco.com
Tiffany Johnson put her finger on what she was most thankful for Wednesday. Her finger partially covered the word “family” on
a photo frame bearing a picture of her and husband Duane Johnson taken last Christmas. “That’s everything,” she said looking at the word. Duane nodded his head in agreement. On Tuesday, Duane stepped out of a neighbor’s
storm shelter. He walked to the red dirt cliff along the creek between their two-story home and the neighbor’s house in northeastern Canadian County. “He turned around and walked back, looked at me SEE FAMILY, PAGE 4A
INSIDE
PIEDMONT — Family members joined emergency responders Wednesday in the search for Ryan Hamil, a 3-year-old boy missing after a tornado demolished his home, killed his brother and injured his mother and sister. They were all apparently trying to shelter in a bathtub when the twister hit. Piedmont’s mayor also announced Wednesday night that the search for Ryan has widened, to include Kingfisher and Logan counties, as well as Canadian County.
Ryan Hamil, 3
Ryan’s 15-month-old brother, Cole, died in the hospital after the tornado Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the state medical examiner said. The mother, Catherine Hamil, 36, was listed in fair condition SEE MISSING, PAGE 3A
ONLINE
I AT A GLANCE: A look at the tornadoes’ paths, 7A I FEDERAL EMERGENCY: Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for 68 of the state’s 77 counties, 4A
I DANGER FOR DRIVERS: Traffic congestion contributed to the dangers for drivers during Tuesday’s tornado outbreak, 7A
I View a photo gallery from Tuesday’s storms and watch videos from officials and survivors online at NewsOK/may-24-tornadoes.
Thousands seek refuge from storms in public buildings BY PAUL MONIES Database Editor pmonies@opubco.com
Thousands of people found shelter in public buildings during Tuesday’s deadly outbreak of tornadoes, but others were initially turned away or saw tempers flare
Merciful Lord, help us to understand that monetary wealth alone will never bring satisfaction. Amen. 3D 1B 1E 6E
It’s partly a liability issue and partly a public safety issue. Whatever the reason, public emergency shelters have fallen out of favor. Oklahoma City, Moore and Edmond do not have public shelters. That’s expected to be an increasing trend with cities, said Moore Emergency Management Director
Gayland Kitch. “You’re going to find it’s a short list, and it’s getting shorter,” Kitch said. “The cities that have them are trying to get out of the business.” Kitch said people place themselves in SEE STORM, PAGE 4A
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at crowded public shelters as the storm bore down. Most small towns across Oklahoma have designated public shelters, but for many urban and suburban residents the options are muddled. There’s no single list kept by officials of public shelters in the Oklahoma City metro area.
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Volume 120, 141 Four sections Copyright 2011 The Oklahoma Publishing Co., Oklahoma City All rights reserved
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Oklahoma native and former astronaut William Pogue looks on as author Bill Moore signs his book, “Oklahomans in Space” on Wednesday at the Oklahoma History Center. STATE, BACK PAGE
Details on Page 2A. PHOTO BY DEREK HO, THE OKLAHOMAN