A man swept away by huge floods caused by a historic storm which also produced tornadoes was found alive in his car – next to the bodies of his wife and young son.
Jason and Erika Lott and 12-year-old Rivers Bond were trapped inside a stranded vehicle in flood waters in Moore, close to Oklahoma City. Erika and Rivers were later found dead inside the car after an extensive search by officers from the Moore Police Department, but Jason was rescued and taken to hospital. Another person also died in the storm as tornadoes hit the area and levelled people’s homes.
A GoFundMe was launched for Jason in the wake of his loss. It reads: “Jason Lott is a first responder who shows up every day to serve his community on their worst day. Tragically, his beautiful wife Erika and their young child lost their lives in the Moore flash flooding last night. Jason was the lone survivor in this tragedy.
“Words cannot even begin to express the heaviness of this loss. It’s time for our community to show up and support Jason on his worst day. Please donate and share.
“The mental weight of this loss is unspeakable; let’s help tackle some of the financial burden to come in the weeks ahead. Funds will be given directly to Jason to help cover funeral expenses, medical bills, loss of income, and any other needs he has during this time.”
Well wishers have so far raised more than $16,000 (£12,000). Moore Police added in a statement: “This was a historical weather event impacting roads and resulted in dozens of high-water incidents across the city.
“The Moore Police Department would like to extend a thank you to our neighboring agencies who assisted in rescue efforts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims.”
The storm later moved, bringing heavy wind, rain and hail in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa. An EF-1 tornado, which had winds of around 110mph also destroyed homes in Oklahoma.
Hughes County Emergency Management added in a statement: “At approximately 10.35pm last night a tornado touched down on the west side of Spaulding. Two homes were destroyed and several small structures along with many trees suffered damage.
“There were two injuries including one fatality. National Weather Service Norman was on site this morning to rate tornado damage. That information will be released when available.
“There are numerous washouts on county roads throughout the county due to the heavy rains and flooding. The commissioners are working as fast as possible to make the county roads passable.
“Thanks to everyone that responded to the tornado including Spaulding Fire Department, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, Holdenville Police Department, Holdenville Fire Department, Hughes County EMS, Creek Nation Light Horsemen and Atwood Fire Department. Please pray for these families.”
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