Summary
• 51 people have been killed after a tornado hit Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. At least seven children are among the dead, with pictures from the scene showing a school severely damaged by the storm. As night fell in Oklahoma a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office said the death toll was expected to rise.
• More than 140 people have been treated at hospital. Around 70 of those were children. Plaza Towers Elementary School, was particularly hard hit. The storm tore off the roof and knocked down walls. Several children were pulled alive from the rubble, the Associated Press reported.
• Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin said "hearts were broken" following the storm. In a news conference she said emergency services were doing all they could to find survivors. She asked people to stay away from the damaged areas to allow authorities to continue their search.
• The National Weather Service said the tornado reached up to a half-mile wide. They rated the tornado as an EF-4 on the enhanced five-point Fujita scale; the second most powerful type of tornado. Video footage showed a dark column moving slowly across Moore for more than 30 minutes.
• Footage from the ground shows entire streets and blocks were raised to the ground. Video posted to Vine and elsewhere showed people searching through large piles of wreckage. Emergency crews warned of gas leaks in the area.
Updated at 11.00pm ET
10.29pm ET
How to help
There are a couple of main resources being circulated online for those wishing to help with the recovery in Oklahoma.
Red Cross
The Oklahoma Red Cross is asking people to donate by texting Red Cross to 90999 – that counts for a $10 donation.
The organisation has a number of shelters open for those displaced by the storm.
Salvation Army
You can donate to the Salvation Army by phone: 800-725-2769, or online: donate.salvationarmyusa.org
10.11pm ET
As night falls in Oklahoma the US National Guard is bringing in cameras that can detect body heat, KFOR News is reporting.
The cameras may be able to help direct rescuers to survivors still trapped in the rubble.
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