9:30 local time there was a knock on my hotel room, hotel staff alerting people that tornado warning sirens were going off and advising us to get into the tornado shelter, the tornado shelter at this particular hotel is actually the first floor hallway. so i headed down there. i was on the third floor headed down to the first floor and i think we can show you some pictures my colleague photographer shot. people that were down there included family member eshs, dogs, people who had been displaced from this tornado who had lost hatheir home. people on ill-timed vacations. a lot of insurance personnel here to process the incredible number of claims sure to emerge after this big tornado. we sat in that hallway and in the lobby of the hotel about 60 people, watching the lightning flash, every couple minutes outside, and the wind and the rain coming in. one of the things it brought home was the fact that first of all, i never heard a tornado warning siren until i was down in the lobby of the
thanks so much for being with us on this wednesday. good to see everybody this morning. you know the pictures are coming in, new pictures, and the devastation, continues for the midwest. that s right. ali velshi in joplin, missouri, where they had a harrowing night. hi, ali. good morning, christine, kiran, it is a better morning here. people counting their blessings. a near miss last night in joplin, missouri. everyone taking shelter and bracing for another twister that thanchgfully never came. this city, as you know, is reeling. 48 hours after the deadliest tornado in recorded u.s. history the death toll stands at 124 people killed. the national weather service upgraded sunday s tornado to an ef-5, the highest possible rating with winds above 200 miles an hour. now in oklahoma, devastating storms carved up canadian county, which is west of oklahoma city. five separate tornadoes touched down and five people are dead. dozens more are hurt. the dallas area got pounded too.