Valley Family Survives Tornado In Oklahoma

A local family shares their story of survival from Oklahoma.

CBS 47’s Lemor Abrams continues our team coverage...

She's live at the Red Cross where people are helping survivors.

You're listening to a radiocaster’s play by play of the monster tornado, as a family drives past it...on their way home to rescue their kids.

“I had crying kids in the shelter and crying parents, our dogs...thank God, everybody is ok,” said Diana Groth.

Diana Groth's kids were safe in the shelter at home, but there was no time to rest. 

Their friend's six year old girl was missing.... from an elementary school.

“We were actually hit on Sunday with a tornado, and our other friend's had lost their house on Sunday...so we were already praying for them,” she said.

And after searching through clogged roads and debris... their prayers were answered.

“Luckily we found her. She was at a local hospital, but with all the chaos it's really hard to track everybody down,” she said.

In Moore, many parents weren't as lucky.

They sifted through wreckage at the PlazaTowers elementary school...destroyed in the tornado's two mile -wide path.

Several children were killed.

Groth is from the valley.

Her husband is a chief in the navy, formerly based out of the Lemoore Naval Air Station.

They're now living in Oklahoma...and Monday's devastation was the real war zone.

“Living in California, you hear about tornados... it's different when you can actually hear and see one,” she said. 

If you would like to donate to the recovery efforts,  you can send $10 by texting "redcross" to 9 0 9 9 9 .