MOORE, Oklahoma â A medical center became one of the many casualties of the deadly tornado that ripped through an Oklahoma town.
As of early Tuesday morning, 51 people had been confirmed dead in the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. At least 20 of those were children. At least 40 people were still missing.
The tornado decimated the Moore Medical Center as rescue crews from the worked desperately to evacuate patients and staff.
Jim Garner, who's home was destroyed in the storm, said he'd never heard anything like the noise this tornado made.
"They say it sounds like a train," said Garner. "I never heard a train sound that loud. It come right over the top of us."
Cell phone service has been spotty since the tornado brought wind speeds of around 200 miles per hour.
Garner used Local 2's Robert Arnold's cell phone to track down his daughter. The signal was weak, but Garner was able to get through.
Garner prayed as the maelstrom around him engulfed the town of Moore. Entire blocks were wiped clean. Cars, trucks and SUVs were bent and twisted like they were nothing more than aluminum cans. The force of the tornado was so great, Garner said he had to hold the latch of his storm door with his entire body weight to keep it from getting sucked open.
"It's one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life," said Garner. "I"m 55 years old, and I've never experienced anything like this."
The number of dead is expected to rise as search and rescue crews work their way into more areas of the town.