good wednesday morning. here's what's coming up on "early today." as the search for survivors in moore, oklahoma, draws to a close, residents begin assessing the damage from monday's now ef-5 tornado. >> she came running. and she's gone. but everything is gone. she's alive. we're alive. stories of a community overwhelmed by tragedy but still pulling together. >> it was just amazing, neighbors helping neighbors. one man told me, that's what we're here for. >> plus, an irs official refusing to answer questions. the fbi zeros in on five benghazi suspects. and convicted murderer jodi

arias pleading for her life. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for wednesday, may 22nd. >> good morning to you, i'm richard lui. as another day breaks in moore, oklahoma, residents continue the massive job of cleaning up after monday's devastating tornado. meteorologists with the national weather service now categorize that twister as an ef-5, the highest level, saying it packed winds of more than 200 miles per hour. this morning the medical examiner says 24 people were killed in that storm including 9 children with more than 230 injured. early on officials put the death toll higher, saying confusion on the ground led to a miscount. local hospitals are treating people for minor cuts and bruises to more serious injuries like broken bones. officials are now in the early stages of assessing the damage and trying to figure out if any parts of the city are salvageable. president obama has pledged the full resources of the federal government towards recovery

zig designating parts of the state as disaster areas opening up funds for those affected by the storm. >> the people of moore should know that their country will remain on the ground there for them, beside them as long as it takes. >> and the people of oklahoma will need that help as the vast recovery effort gets under way. msnbc's jay gray is in hard-hit moore with the latest for us. jay, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, good morning, richard. this is the kind of devastation the ef-5 tornado left behind, survivors now left to somehow try and pick up the pieces. as the cleanup continues, so does the shock and heartache here. >> i really think i'm emotionally numb. >> reporter: overwhelmed by what is seemingly an endless path of destruction.

>> a bomb going off doesn't do it justice because of the amount of damage. >> reporter: 17 miles of twisted metal and splintered wood from a storm that forecasters now say was one of the strongest on record. an ef-5 with winds topping 200 miles an hour. >> this was the storm of storms. >> reporter: and now as this community struggles to come back, sorting through the debris and salvaging what they can, many are also looking for answers underneath all the rubble. >> i own a home child care, and i can't imagine. >> reporter: for the first time this morning we're seeing images of the chaos immediately after the twister smashed through two moore elementary schools. the most severe loss was at plaza tower where seven young children were killed and dozens injured. maria rodriguez was there that day. >> all the kids were bent down. they were just trying to protect themselves. >> reporter: she thought about

staying, but at the last minute decided she and her kids should leave. >> i thought it was safe, but something just told me, you know, you've got to get them out. you've got to get them out. >> reporter: they're survivors now. two days later, like so many in the strike zone, still stunned by what's happened to their community. >> speechless. >> reporter: the words will have to wait anyway for now. there's just too much work to be done. and crews from around the country continue to pour into this area right now to help with that difficult cleanup and recovery that's going to take years here. in moore, oklahoma, i'm jay gray. richard, back to you now. >> jay, thank you so much for that. over to bill karins. you finished up a 16-hour reporting day on this yesterday. we were watching winds on those live reports as those reporters were out there. better for them? >> much better for the cleanup. who knows? maybe we'll get some wild

two-day after rescue, too. let's hope so. let me show you officially the bottom line is on this storm. we found out yesterday it is an ef-5. those are winds above 200 miles per hour. they estimated maybe as high as 210. it was on the ground for 50 minutes, 17 miles. at one point the maximum damage path was 1.3 miles. think about that, how long it takes you to walk that far, at least over a minute to drive that far at 60 miles per hour. yesterday we got away with no tornadoes. that was fantastic. that ended our tornado outbreak. we had four days in a row of tornadoes throughout the country. the weather pattern has changed a little bit across the lower 48. with that storm moving out of the central plains, it's actually a new storm in the northwest helping to push that out of the way and weaken it. but unfortunately in the northwest, it's still kind of a wet and damp day. it's actually cold enough at the highest elevations that we've actually got snow out there. it's a very cold, upper-level low that's going to plague this region with more rain and stray

thunderstorms during the afternoon today. that's the northwest. that's not california or nevada or and every afternoon. a lot of people have been asking me, is there more severe weather in the cards? we don't see any in the near future. we should get through the weekend without more tornadoes. >> thank you so much, bill karins. coming up more on the relief effort in moore. and convicted murderer jodi arias has a change of heart as a jury begins deciding her fate. 1y50

welcome back to "early today." we want to go back to moore, oklahoma, and the weather channel's mike sidle joins us. good morning to you. what's the latest?

because utility and road access key in those early stages of help. how has that changed in the last couple of days now? >> reporter: well, they still have a long way to go. just the basic cleanup as we saw in joplin which, by the way, this is the second anniversary today of their ef-5 back in 2011. but power crews are out here where we are. we're on the east side of i-35. most of the media is on the west side of i-35 near the moore medical center. on this side the tornado hit last as it headed off in that direction. and then dissipated about four miles outside of moore. so they're still trying to get the power grid back on. last night as we were coming through here at subpoenadown, multiple trucks up and down the highway here trying to get the poles back up. and then they have to string the wires. so they've got a long way to go. they did get the water treatment facility in moore back on yesterday. so some of the homes and businesses -- we were in some of the businesses, the power is on, they were open, but they had no water in their bathrooms. no water pressure. so that is back on. that is certainly a move in the right direction.

behind me out here, you can see just littered with debris as the twister came up over this little hill. all the houses behind me are gone. this is certainly ef-4 damage. when a house is completely taken off its foundation, a brick house, that pretty much means it's ef-4. that puts the winds between 166 and 200. now, yesterday they found ef-5 damage near the briarwood elementary. that means a big chunk of the building was destroyed or the steel and concrete structural system was badly damaged. that's what you need on the ef scale to get ef-5 damage. we've got sun coming up here today, richard. a better day yesterday weatherwise. we had those storms around yesterday, a severe thunderstorm watch, lightning bolts, sunny and back around 80 today where they should be but a long way to go as we saw in joplin and the last ef-4 tornado was two days after joplin. and that was on the northwest side of oklahoma city. we were up there on that one two days after joplin, that killed nine. so far the death toll 24.

hoping that's it as they continue to dig through the rubble here in moore, oklahoma. richard, back to you. >> mike seidel and that rubble behind you almost nothing upright. thank you so much for the latest for us. here are other stories making news. an irs official at the center of the agency's recent controversy will testify on capitol hill today. don't expect her to say anything. lois lerner was the one who disclosed the improper targeting. her lawyers saying she plans to take the fifth. the city of los angeles has a new mayor-elect this morning. city councilman eric garcetti beat out wendy gruel in a race that was often categorized as too close to call. garcetti will replace antonio villaraigosa july 1st. meanwhile in new york, former congressman anthony wiener ending the rumors and formally launching his campaign for mayor. it's his first bid for public office since resigning from congress following a sexting scandal. the democrat joins an already crowded field of contenders. a bipartisan overhaul of the

nation's immigration laws has won approval from the senate judiciary committee. senators voted 13-5 to send the bill to the floor. it provides a path to citizenship for millions but does not include protections for same-sex couples. in arizona, a federal court has struck down the state's strict new law on abortion. the court set a ban on the brother after 20 weeks of pregnancy violates the constitution. convicted murderer jodi arias has changed her mind and no longer prefers the death penalty to life in prison. she told the jury she, quote, lacked perspective when she previously told a reporter she preferred death. >> asking for death is tantamount to suicide. either way, i'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison. it will either be shortened or not. and a new study says babies who sleep in bed with an adult are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome. the american academy of pediatrics recommends placing babies on a firm mattress and not using pillows or bumper pads

in cribs. "early today health" is brought to you by vagisil. joining us by phone is a spokesperson with the american red cross. jennifer, good morning to you. now that your organization has had a bit of time to assess the situation on the ground, i mean, you've got thousands of folks without homes. where are they sleeping at night? >> well, you know, it's a combination of a couple things. we have several shelters open. and this is a very tight-knit community. a lot of people are staying with family and friends. >> what sort of items are residents needing most? >> well, as they're able to get back in the neighborhood, it's going to be cleanup kits. we're going to be doing bulk distribution and getting gloves and rakes and garbage bags and those kind of things into the hands of the people. so they can start sifting through and trying to put their life back together. >> any sense of numbers here,

jennifer? the number of folks that don't have homes that do need homes at the moment, some of the numbers in terms of money that you're getting. >> you know, it's still very early. there's still a lot of damage assessment happening. there's still a lot of people pouring out their support to help people. but, you know, the red cross is only one part of this response. it's really going to take a group of organizations, a partnership with the southern baptist convention, for example, and grass-roots organizations and neighbors helping neighbors that are going to help this community rise back again. >> as they rise back, hopefully the mood does return as well, positive thoughts there for all those who are working in moore, oklahoma. thank you, jennifer ramieh from the red cross. they are taking your donations online, by phone, by text to help with relief efforts. visit redcross.org. call 1-800-redcross or text redcross to 90999 to make an

instant $10 donation. just ahead, how small acts of kindness are making a big difference in tornado-ravaged moore, oklahoma.

some encouraging news in the wake of the tragedy in oklahoma. nbc's janet shamlian reports on how people are coming together with little acts of kindness.

>> you need some gloves? >> reporter: chris williams and jesse know this could have been their street because it almost was. >> we brought some gloves for you guys. >> reporter: their home spared. they brought every pair of work gloves in the only hardware store they could find open. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: passing them out to homeowners in need. >> doing anything we can to make it easier for these people that have lost everything. >> reporter: a block away, gina reese was struggling to rake the muck and debris. she couldn't believe it when more than a dozen national guardsmen on patrol said they would finish the job. >> it was just amazing, neighbors helping neighbors. one man said, that's what we're here for. >> reporter: on every street in moore, the circumstances were different, but the sentiment was the same. what do you need? how can we help? >> these are the people we see every single day. you know, so this is -- why not make an effort when there's people in need? >> reporter: because driving is restricted, these friends walked

miles in the rain to reach a coworker's damaged home. nearby, waitress megan correia serving lunch to anyone who needed a hot meal. >> being out here to help people who are less fortunate, especially at a time like this, is where it matters most. >> reporter: then reuniting still separated families. >> listening to her heart and lungs. >> reporter: this local veterinarian temporarily closed his practice to lead the effort to get every pet found in the ruins. maybe not back in its house but back home. >> people that lost everything, if they can get their pet back, you know, it would mean the world to them. >> reporter: in the midst of heartbreak, neighbors and friends showing what true heart is. janet shamlian, nbc news, moore, oklahoma. just ahead, how social media is becoming oklahoma's lost and found. plus last night's emotional tribute to the victims of the tornado.

welcome back. it's definitely not a pretty morning in yakima, washington. you've got this area of rain sitting right over the top of you. temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s. a little breezy, too. it's not a nice picture out there. so bundle up this morning and bring the umbrella with you. also some of those showers trying to work back into the seattle area after a little bit of a break. portland, a break right now, but you'll have wet weather in your forecast today, too. these temperatures are well below average. only 53 today in portland.

that's definitely chilly. compare that to the desert southwest who's very warm. san francisco, the on-shore flow, you're only in the low 60s. looking towards tomorrow, this upper-level low, what you see today you're going to get tomorrow. >> a lingerer, huh? >> yep. >> thank you so much, bill. as residents in oklahoma start the process of cleaning up celebrities, athletes and social media users have stepped forward to offer support and aid. stars have enlisted twitter as a way to send prayers and encourage donations for oklahoma. carey underwood, reba mcentire, ellen degeneres among those who hash tagged well wishes for victims. and after donating $200,000 himself, david spade tweeting for others to do the same. others turned to facebook and reddit to help possessions and even pets amid the devastation. and on "the voice" last night, oklahoma native blake shelton was joined by wife miranda lambert to pay tribute to the victims of the tornado.

♪ but you wouldn't wait ♪ how dare you ♪ i miss you >> yeah, and that began the show there with silence, not clapping and applause like they normally do start that show. shelton also announced later he's organizing a benefit concert with nbc to support tornado victims. >> that's a great idea. i was actually looking at it. there's three high schools in moore, oklahoma. they're all planning on going ahead with their high school graduations on saturday. so saturday night would be a great time to have a memorial/benefit concert. >> that would be perfect and hopefully they'll have more of those. i'm richard lui, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

in this morning's "new york times" children huddled as storm sirens wailed. plaza towers elementary school the rubble has become the emotional focal point of one of the most destructive tornadoes to strike oklahoma. in "usa today" how did so many survive? the article talks about how a closet or bathroom can double as a residential safe room in the event of a tornado for a relatively small investment. the sports world also reacting to the oklahoma tornado in quick fashion, oklahoma city local and nba player kevin durant hitting the donation stratosphere, $1 million. his team, the thunder, followed giving another $1 million. added to the nba and nba players association giving $1 million, for $3 million all together. durant saying he drives through moore every day.

west virginia's baseball team. "our team just dropped off our supplies at a shelter they moved 100 families to who lost their homes." the team had gone to walmart earlier and loaded up shopping carts for those homeless families. the university of oklahoma teaming up with the united way. they're selling a special sooner t-shirt for $19.99. it reads "rebuild, restore, reemerge and recover." proceeds go to relief agencies. and l.a. dodgers' matt kemp tweeting he'll donate $1,000 for every home run he hits until the all-star break for the victims of his hometown, moore. kemp hitting 39 homers in 2011. you know, if he does the same rate, that's up to $20,000. all these folks helping here. >> they're going to need all of this. this could easily be a $2 billion disaster. billions. >> but a good move to start, if we can get more millions in there. >> every little penny, i guess. >> that's right. time for a look ahead and a look back. a tornado update in oklahoma. we'll get the latest information on the deadly twister in moore,

oklahoma, from the governor and other officials at 1:00 p.m. eastern. remembering the deadly joplin twister. today is the second anniversary of the tornado that devastated joplin, missouri. ceremonies will be held at 5:00 p.m. eastern time. and federal reserve board chairman ben bernanke testifying on capitol hill about the outlook for the u.s. economy. here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. a close-up look at the plaza towers elementary school devastated by the tornado in moore, oklahoma. and matt tours the city of moore with country singer toby keith who talks about rebuilding his hometown. keep it here for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm richard lui along with bill karins. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good wednesday.

new images of the devastation of moore, oklahoma this morning. young children simply socked by what today found when they emerged from shelter. we'll have the latest details. plus -- >> families have lost homes. trs nothing out there. it's defensive station. >> we hear from a man who lived in the area when the tornado struck. >> and a live look outside. golden gate bridge. it's wednesday, may 22. this is "today in the bay." >> announcer: from nbc bay area this is "today in the bay." >> good morning.