Moore (Okla.) Medical Center, part of Norman (Okla.) Regional Health System, was flattened in the massive tornado that tore through the town, located roughly 10 miles from Oklahoma City, but all patients and employees inside the facility survived, according to an Associated Press/ABC News report.
There were 30 patients in the 45-bed hospital when the tornado hit, and the facility was “pretty much destroyed,” a hospital spokesperson said in the report.
Yesterday’s tornado was reported to have been between one-mile and two-miles wide. Preliminary data suggests it was a Category 4 on a scale that measures tornado strength from 0 to 5. A definitive assessment will made available today. The tornado was reportedly on the ground for 40 minutes, whereas most typically touch ground for a few minutes.
As of this morning, at least 24 deaths have been confirmed by the medical examiner, according to a New York Times report. Hospitals in the area have reported at least 145 people injured, including 70 children.
In the New York Times report, a spokesperson for Integris Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City said 58 patients came into the hospital by 9 p.m. last night. Another 85 were being treated at Oklahoma University Medical Center in Oklahoma City, according to the report.
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