Friday, May 24, 2013
Principal recounts storm hitting Okla. school
MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The principal of the Oklahoma elementary school where seven children died in a tornado says her teachers did everything they could to save their lives.
Plaza Towers Elementary Principal Amy Simpson said at an emotional news conference today that children regularly had tornado drills and bravely faced a storm carrying 210 mph winds.
The twister hit just before the end of the school day Monday. The school had spent the first half of the day celebrating the students’ accomplishments during the year.
Simpson said some teachers took the weight of collapsed walls onto their bodies to save children.
Monday’s tornado was a top-of-the-scale EF5. The storm killed 24 people, including 10 children.