Survivors of the May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak gathered Friday at the National Weather Center to share stories of survival and reflections from that fateful day.
The event was hosted by the NOAA National Weather Service to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the historic weather events that occurred over three states bringing meteorologists and those affected by the tornado together to discuss tornado readiness, disaster recovery and personal impacts.
Some of the most touching stories came from the survivors who gave their testimony to the power of that day. Survivors said they have all learned valuable lessons from the tragic events.
Tim Norton, former mayor of Haysville, Kan.
“The night of May 3 was a life changing experience for me,” said Tim Norton, former mayor of Haysville, Kan. “If you think it won’t happen to you, it probably will. My job went from throwing candy at parades and fixing pot-holes to standing on a pile of rubble with the vice president facing a town in crisis.”
Norton was mayor of Haysville on May 3 when a tornado wiped out most of his town and told his story about how he quit his job to rebuild the town as a full-time mayor.
“The mayor’s salary was only $7,000 a year,” he said. “I spent a year and a half rebuilding my town, and for a while, my daughter who was working part-time at Subway was making more than me.”
Since the tornado, Norton has become a county commissioner, and said Haysville has been completely restored.
“Since that day, I’ve been a huge advocate of emergency management,” he said. “Leaders, be not afraid to make tough decision. We all saw what happened to those who were in charge during Katrina.”
Jack McAnally, former mayor of Mulhall
“We woke up that morning, and it was a normal morning,” said Jack McAnally, current Mulhall mayor.
He said because of the storm, Mulhall residents now realize what they have is precious and the town had a chance to start fresh with the building of a new school and utilities.
“I like to look for the humor in these things,” McAnally said. “This is the greatest thing ever to happen to Mulhall.”
Steve Couch, former assistant principal of Moore Central Junior High School
“Every year, we get out our book of drill procedures and count how many we should have, but it never occurred to us that we weren’t prepared for what happens after the storm,” said Steve Couch, former assistant principal of Moore Central Junior High School.
His school did not suffer major damage from the storm, but three-fourths of the student population either lost their homes or had homes that were severely damaged.
“We had to provide a sense of normalcy and a familiar face to our students,” Couch said. “We opened up the cafeteria for dinner that night, and began to track down parents.”
He said the school also was opened to a displaced elementary school down the road.
“One problem we faced was how do you get a second grader to use a potty that was made for an adult,” he said. “We also had to help the kids that couldn’t come back to school.”
He said because of the tornado, many lessons were learned. Moore Public Schools no longer solely stores student records on computers and in one place, and the district is better equipped to handle the needs to students and staff affected by severe weather.
Amber Murphy, resident of Bridge Creek
“I was pregnant then, and I was a little swollen that day so I couldn’t wear my jewelry,” said Amber Murphy, former Bridge Creek resident. “Little did I know that when I took my jewelry off that it would be the last time I would see my jewelry.”
She said she was on her way to visit her grandparents in Del City when the tornado touched down.
“The only thing that mattered was seeing my parents covered in mud with my brother on my grandma’s front porch,” she said.
Murphy said after she knew her family was safe, she went back to her home in Bridge Creek to search for what she could of her belongings.
“You arrive hoping to find something left of your life,” she said. “Everything I have fit in a coffee cup. You really appreciate the value of a toothbrush.”
Murphy now works for Oklahoma Emergency Management, the same organization that helped her recover from the tornado. She says the events of that day have made her better at her job.
She said telling her story was part of her personal healing process.
“By you allowing me to tell my story today, I can put a period at the end of a sentence of a long chapter in my life,” she said. “Going through this you feel anger and frustration, but this had made me stronger. If I had to chose to go through this again, I would do it.”
