Moore honors 10-year anniversary of the deadly tornadoes that changed the town forever

Members of the Moore community gathered Friday at Norman Regional Moore Hospital to honor 25 lives tragically taken by the EF5 tornado that devastated the town 10 years ago.

The tornado's 17-mile destructive path on May 20, 2013, left hundreds injured and nearly 1,100 homes destroyed. Two elementary campuses in the Moore Public Schools system were destroyed. Briarwood Elementary, 14901 S Hudson Ave., in Oklahoma City, was struck first. The twister then hit Plaza Towers Elementary, 852 SW 11 in Moore, where seven children died.

The storm moved northeast, leveling homes and hitting businesses and parks. A 7-Eleven store at SW 4 and Telephone Road was destroyed. Three people, including a 3-month-old child, died at that location. Just to the south on Telephone Road, Moore Medical Center, the city's hospital, was so heavily damaged it later had to be razed.

On Friday, Richie Splitt, president and chief executive officer of Norman Regional Health System, spoke about how the tragedy brought about unity.

More: What went on that fatal day in 2013 inside Plaza Towers Elementary

'It was in the face of tragedy that we discovered the power of unity'

"Ten years have passed since a devastating tornado tore through our community, leaving behind a broad path of destruction and heartache, and today we gather not to dwell on the pain of the past, but to commemorate the strength, resilience and sheer determination that emerged from the rubble on that day," Splitt said. "For it was in the face of tragedy that we discovered the power of unity."

Moore Councilman Mark Hamm read a proclamation from Gov. Kevin Stitt, which declared May 20 as Moore Remembrance Day in the state of Oklahoma.

"The seven children we lost at Plaza on May 20 are always remembered," said Robert Romines, superintendent of Moore Public Schools. "A teacher of ours, her infant, a Briarwood pre-K student, and their infant sibling were not at school that day but were also lost during the storm and also are always in our hearts. ... Moore has not allowed May 20 to define us, but instead we have used it as an opportunity for growth and progress and to work towards a bright future together."

More: Moore 7-Eleven employee tried to protect mother, baby

Nick Napoli, Norman Regional chaplain, led a moment of silence followed by the names of the people who lost their lives on that tragic day.

One of those in attendance Friday was Shayla Taylor, who was scheduled to be induced to give birth to her second son at the Moore Medical Center on that day in 2013. Taylor didn't know when she went to the hospital of the imminent threat of the EF5 tornado that would demolish the building around her.

When the staff realized they were in the direct path of the tornado, they acted very quickly, Taylor said.

"They moved me to the OR, which was the safest place for us to be at that time," Taylor said. "They also had to give me medication to stop my labor."

The medical team covered Taylor with heated blankets, and then their own bodies when debris began to fall all around them. The room where Taylor had been was hit and had a massive hole.

"There was a feeling of uncertainty, but that feeling later turned into an unusual sense of calm as we began to all pray with each other for our own protection and safety," Taylor said.

Taylor's son just completed fourth grade and celebrated his 10th birthday.

"He learned how to Google himself, which he finds fascinating," Taylor said. "He answers to 'Twister' on a regular basis."

Taylor is now a registered nurse in the labor and delivery department at the Norman Regional Hospital in Moore.

Lynn Herbel, director of the Moore High School chamber choir, led the ending performance Friday.

Herbel said she was teaching first grade at Winding Creek Elementary School when the tornado hit. The children sheltered in the bathroom, and her son, also a first-grader, was with her.

"I remember one of the kiddos crying," Herbel said. "The gym teacher patted his back and said, 'Hey it's okay. This is not the time to cry, this is time to pray,' and he said, 'But I don't know how to pray' and one of the first-grade teachers said, 'Honey, I've been praying for us all day. You're covered.' It was very powerful."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Moore tornado: Community stands strong 10 years later