0 freezer to escape this tornado. we'll continue our coverage on fox news channel as we always do. fair, balanced and unafraid. >> shepard: continuing coverage now with breaking news as fox reports live tonight, an absolute disaster in the heart land of america. we are watching for the search for survivors in moore, oklahoma. where during "studio b" this afternoon. enormous tornado cut a path of destruction across that city. going these are live pictures coming in from moore now. homes and businesses in at least two elementary schools badly damaged or destroyed. we do not yet know exactly how many people are hurt or dead. a local cbs news station reports that all kids are now accounted for in one of two elementary schools that were hit briar wood elementary. we have not yet confirmed that but we are now hearing that rescuers have pulled several children alive from the rubble at plaza towers elementary. we do not yet know what sort of injuries they have, september what you have heard in the last hour. witnesses say the tornado was a mile or up to two miles wide in some areas. the national weather service reports this storm is at least an -- this tornado at least an ef-4 on the scale that meteorologists use. that's the second highest level. it means winds of between 166 and 200 miles per hour. the tornado was on the ground for at least 45 minutes. there were warnings, 16 minutes before the tornado hit moore, oklahoma. 16 minutes in advance they got a warning, a tornado warning that a tornado was on the ground and headed for them. we do not yet know how many countless lives that saved. but it's always how many took them seriously and took shelter. volunteers and first responders are on the ground in moore looking for anybody who may still be trapped beneath the debree hoping that even with the magnitude like nothing we have years in this nation that they will find any neighbors friends, band members -- members who may be missing. jeff, what you have seen? shep,unbelievable afternoon. near the new castle exit where this all started all afternoon we were on the storm just southwest of oklahoma city before the tornado developed in oklahoma city. i have got other on the ground in moore in that area telling me mass casualties extent of injuries, i cannot tell you how many if a tallahassee tattles they are seeing at this point. it's worse than may 3rd of 1999. very similar track. similar neighborhoods hit now leveled. i just got off the phone with my chasers in moore. put a plea out on facebook or twitter asking management people to respond to moore. there are people still trapped in buildings, under houses and buildings all through the moore area. both in apartment complexes as well as the residential areas. a lot of people are on foot and there is a lot of people injured -- [inaudible] >> shepard: jeff, thank you. we have gotten word from the mayor of moore that much of the town is destroyed. the hospital is pretty much destroyed says the mayor. mayor lewis. glen lewis. and in addition, word there are two elementary schools involved here. one, plaza elementary school where everyone is accounted for. and there is another school brier creek elementary which we watched as residents were trying to bring people from underneath the rubble the president today who offered the nation's help and gave a direct line to his office. in addition, the mayor of oklahoma city nearby, this is a suburb of sorts sending its emergency response resources to this area to help. of the okin which is the newspaper of record for the area. the headline sums it up this way. oklahoma sucker punched by second round of twisters still staggering from yesterday's tornadoes. oklahoma pick themselves up from the kansas on monday only to be hit by a second is round of fierce twisters today. this massive one record through moore and south oklahoma city this afternoon. grinding up neighborhoods and ravaging at least one elementary school in its path. of course, another struck as well. again i'm reading from the oklahoman. rushed glances to briar wood elementary cool one of two we mentioned to the moore school district and several homes, businesses and intersections spawning to multiple injuries. parents of these children could be seen rushing to the school, dodging downed power lines and scattered debris. it has been a seen of unbelievable chaos. a girl ho a tends briar wood elementary tells kokh television the reporter that her school was trashed. there was simply nothing left there. several children have now been pulled out of the rubble alive in one of these schools. plaza towers elementary school there in moore after the massive tornado hit. rescue workers lifted the kids from the rubble before they were passed down a human chain and taken to it a triage center set up right there in the parking lot of that devastated school, again, southwest of oklahoma city. the roof is gone. the walls had fallen or been mangled. and so many of these students sheltered in place in the halls. these are new pictures that we are just getting in here at fox news channel on the right-hand side of your screen. and live pictures that are coming in from the search and rescue operations. lines of communications is rescuers. as a result of this governor fallon has not been able to receive the reports that we have now confirmed of these fatalities, four that you mentioned there of the 7/11. four more in a home as reported by kfor television in oklahoma city. they said the governor says the land lines are down in the moore area and so many people using their mobile phones that cell lines are congested and many cases the cell lines are down marc age in damage as storm rips through neighborhoods south of oklahoma city. two miles wide rips through areas south of moore. initial reports from kfor nbc station there at least four people killed. now this report of four more at the 7/11. sadly we believe that the news will get worse before it gets better. the choppers are in the air, our correspondents are on the ground. this is breaking news on fox news channel. we'll be right back. 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