Woodward, Oklahoma Tornado: 3 Children Among Dead, Officials Say

WOODWARD, Okla. -- Officials say three children were among the five people killed when a tornado ripped through a northwest Oklahoma town and destroyed dozens of homes.

The tornado hit just after midnight Sunday in Woodward, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. City Manager Alan Riffel says 89 homes and 13 businesses were destroyed.

State medical examiner spokeswoman Amy Elliot says a man named Frank Hobbie and his two daughters, ages 5 and 7, died after the tornado hit their mobile home park.

She says the other victims were Darren Juul and a 10-year-old girl who died when the home they were in a few miles away was hit.

The men's ages and the children's names haven't been released.

Elliot says a critically injured child was air lifted to a Texas hospital.

Related on HuffPost:

From our partners

• Widespread Greenland Melting A Sign Of Things To Come - Climate Central
• How Two Determined Sisters Set Up A Pet Rescue Pipeline To Colorado - Mother Nature Network
• 11 Images And Facts About A Misunderstood Creature - Mother Nature Network

Comments

[parris2189]

11:19 AM on 09/08/2012

This is Gods work, and many lives will be taken in these storms and bad weather.Take notice of how many weather storms are coming in. Earth quakes is a part of this too, there is lots of them now days. Years ago this hardly heard of. No number of them like today.

[Suntio]

06:37 PM on 04/15/2012

?there was warning, why weren't these people in shelters? Those kids are dead because of their caregivers' lack of common sense.

[TheAntiOkie]

07:07 PM on 04/15/2012

Their warning sirens were apparently either struck by lightening or someone otherwise caused to malfunction.  It was about midnight when it hit.

Their sirens had been sounded earlier and had worked fine but not that time - and it was moving so swiftly that there was nothing they could do to warn the people.

[Dana Jensen Wall]

05:36 AM on 05/11/2012

How dare you make a comment like that when you obviously do not know the details. The town’s 20 outdoor tornado sirens did not sound because lightning had knocked out a tower used to activate the system. Derrin Juul lost his life when he threw himself on top of his two daughters to try and shield them when he wasn't able to get them to their storm cellar. Not only did he lose his life that night, but so did his 10 year old daughter. Your comment is not only inaccurate, but incredibly hurtful to the families that lost loved ones. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[jena132]

06:33 PM on 04/15/2012

can't they require mobile homes to have some sort of storm shelter? Seems that 90% of the time the deaths happen in a trailer park.

[j l mcdonald]

06:57 PM on 04/15/2012

Excellent idea. F&F.

[okiecarol]

05:22 PM on 04/16/2012

. I have to agree with you on this one-- there should be a law that if you own a trailer partk you have to provide some time of storm shelter. -- mobile homes offer no protection from these types of storms--

[Dana Jensen Wall]

05:39 AM on 05/11/2012

The Allen-Juul family did, in fact, have a storm cellar--they were unable to get to it in time. Again, passing judgment without knowing the facts.

[okiecarol]

11:07 AM on 05/11/2012

@dana -- Sorry, I was not passing judgement on anyone-- I agree that mobil home parks should be required to have some type of storm shelter. I know of a few of the small mobil home parks have shelter but most of the larger ones do not --- I don't think the mobil home park on Downs Ave has one. But as you said you have to have enough warning to at least get to the shelter.

[JamesGould72]

06:29 PM on 04/15/2012

Could have been worse, but its awful >_<

http://goo.gl/XFniA

[okiecarol]

05:24 PM on 04/16/2012

I saw pictures of these sweet little girls that lost their lifes-- it was heart breaking to say the least -- : (