According to reports, dozens of people have been killed (though actual number is still unclear) by two massive tornados that ripped through Oklahoma yesterday. The storms leveled two schools and countless homes and buildings throughout the suburbs of Oklahoma City. Hundreds more residents were injured, and local officials still expect the death toll to rise. Several of the victims were children.

The two, mile-wide tornados left a 22-mile long trail of devastation when they struck yesterday afternoon. Officials from the National Weather Service say the Category Four storm brought with it winds between 166 and 200 mph.

People looking to help can text REDCROSS to 90999—it'll automatically send $10 to Red Cross relief in the area. Red Cross also set up this website for people looking to check in on loved ones in the area. The Salvation Army is also in the area, and you can donate $10 to them by texting STORM to 80888. Oklahoma Baptist Relief has sent 80 volunteers to help with the clean up, and you can donate to them here. If you know of any other verified relief organizations that could use help, list them in the comments. And to all in the area, our prayers are with you. … Discuss

The U.S. continued to take a battering from a series of large, high-powered tornadoes that ripped across the midwest Wednesday, causing massive damage, dozens of casualties and at least two deaths. The Oklahoma City area took a particularly heavy bruising, with multiple schools, several neighborhoods and even some small towns suffering some from tornadoes as big as a half-mile wide. More severe weather is expected so, please, if you're in the midwest or anywhere near the path of tornadoes, stay safe out there. And if you're not, the Red Cross is accepting donations to help deal with the historic amount of damage the twisters have caused ...

Update: Officials are saying some children and teachers are trapped in the rubble of one of the schools. They are having a difficult time getting to them, and there are concerns of a possible gas leak. Discuss

Amateur scientists at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa are saying a lightning strike may be to blame for stripping this tree of all its bark, leaving it utterly bare to the world. But if it thinks it's taking one step out of the house dressed like that, then it's got another thing coming ... Discuss

A small town in Colorado has passed a new ordinance that states, "every head of household residing in the town limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefor." The new policy was inspired by another town in rural Georgia, that also passed a measure making gun ownership a mandate for residents. However, as the one official who voted against the measure points out (it passed on a 5-1 vote), the law is largely symbolic. The ordinance contains exceptions for residents who simply don’t want to own a gun … Discuss

Scientists aren't quite sure how Armani, an anteater at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich, Conn., managed to get pregnant with her second child, Archie. After Armani gave birth to her first daughter, she was separated from her mate to ensure the safety of little Alice, since anteater fathers have a habit of killing their young. However, Armani has since given birth to Archie, and nobody's quite sure how. The center's founder, Marcella Leone, says that this might be a case of "delayed implantation," but other scientists are saying they don't think such a thing is possible in giant anteaters. So, they're sticking with the whole "immaculately conceived" theory ... Discuss