February 10th Tornado was devastating to Lone Grove

Thank to all of you for checking on us.

We have had an out pouring of friends, family and faithful website regular watchers (some that I have never met) have all felt compelled to email us.

The February 10th Tornado was devastating to Lone Grove. We have literally had a 100 calls and emails. We are fine. We had some baseball sized hail at the house and shop that did damage to our roofs and windows. most of the 25 cars were OK. There were 7 units damaged.  The city of Lone Grove was hit extremely hard and at least 9 people are now confirmed dead and 2 are missing. Our hearts go out to our friends and fellow towns people. When it hit Lone Grove we were at my son's 23rd birthday at El Chico in Ardmore. It was a wild ride that night. It was hard to get home.  The roads into the city were closed and we had to reroute 9 miles north to get home about a 30 mile detour up and down back roads with a lot of trees and power lines down and across the roads take over an hour for a 10 minute trip. I Googled "Lone Grove tornado" and got these links.
 

Thanks for checking on us. God Bless.
 

Fred and Kim Murfin
 

http://www.koco.com/weather/18686170/detail.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29125653?GT1=43001

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Lone-Grove-Tornado/L3F5APvzs0upjM9Uj_-NYA.cspx?rss=77

By mid afternoon on Wednesday, Sheriff Grace said crews had discovered a body in Lone Grove, a man who was found dead in his pickup in the middle of a field. “The tornado must have picked him up and dropped him there,” the sheriff said. The National Weather Service said the intensity of the tornado that struck Lone Grove was the second highest, EF4, on its scale, with winds equivalent to 170 miles per hour.

Marianne Elfert, the Lone Grove city manager, said the damage was extensive, especially in the southern section of her town of 5,000, about 100 miles south of Oklahoma City.

“We’re talking about normal structures destroyed, mobile homes, downed trees, downed power lines and utilities,” Ms. Elfert said. “We’re not sure what level of assistance we will receive.”

Gov. Brad Henry, who surveyed the damage in Lone Grove on Wednesday, declared a state of emergency in 17 counties.

Random mountains of mangled metal, overturned cars, strewn furniture and caved-in buildings confronted stunned local officials and residents, as the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the National Guard assisted in the recovery. Officials from the National Weather Service also surveyed the damage to determine the intensity of the tornado, which struck the area about 7:15 p.m. Central time on Tuesday.

Two other tornadoes associated with the storm touched down in Oklahoma — in Pawnee and Edmond, a northeast suburb of Oklahoma City. There was property damage and loss of power, the authorities said, but there were no fatalities.

Tornadoes are rare in February, “at least for this far north and west,” said David Andra, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman, Okla. The last fatalities during a February tornado occurred in 1975, with three deaths, he said.

On Tuesday, the temperatures had climbed into the mid-70s in Oklahoma — part of a warm, moist air mass that combined with strong winds to create the powerful storms, Mr. Andra said.

A mobile home park, Bar K, with 35 to 40 homes, was destroyed, Ms. Elfert said, and at least three residents were killed.

Most of the deaths occurred from “blunt-force trauma to the head,” said Cherokee Ballard, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner.

Seven of the confirmed dead were from Lone Grove. “Three were found outside their houses, two were inside their homes and one was in a field,” Ms. Ballard said. Another victim was found on a gravel road outside the trailer park. The eighth confirmed victim was a truck driver on Interstate 35, who was found pinned underneath his vehicle.

Sheriff Grace was quoted Wednesday night by The Associated Press as saying the toll had risen rose to nine with the death of an injured man who had been transferred to a Dallas hospital.

By Wednesday morning, Jeri Mays, the owner of Bill’s Fish House in Lone Grove, said in a telephone interview that a child of one of her managers suffered injuries and had to be hospitalized. She said her business had minor damage to the roof, but lost power and remained closed.

Ms. Mays added that the glass lobby of the post office in town was destroyed, a United Parcel Service building was razed and a group home for men with special needs was damaged.

About 6,500 customers of Oklahoma Gas and Electric, including 3,500 in Lone Grove, were without services on Wednesday, according to a company spokesman,