Washington: As tornado victims are laid to rest in Moore, Oklahoma, President Barack Obama is on Sunday visiting the area for a survey following last Monday's storm, which killed 24 people and damaged an estimated 12,000 homes. The White House said Obama wanted a firsthand look at recovery efforts from the monstrous tornado that barreled through the Oklahoma City suburb.
The president planned to visit with affected families and thank first responders in devastated Moore, a town of 41,000 residents about 16-km from Oklahoma City. The extraordinarily powerful twister that struck Moore on Monday was known as an EF5, ranking it at the top of the enhanced Fujita scale used to measure tornado strength. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin on Sunday said that her message to Obama is that she appreciates the visit, but the state also needs quick action from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Obama offered prayers for Moore residents from the White House in recent days and has promised to support the rebuilding for as long as it takes. "They have suffered mightily this week," Obama said Wednesday. "And while the road ahead will be long, their country will be with them every single step of the way." Among the dead were 10 children, including two sisters pulled by the strong winds out of their mother's grasp, an infant who died along with his mother trying to ride out the storm in a convenience store and seven students at Plaza Towers Elementary School. Many students were pulled from the rubble after the school was destroyed.
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