07.07.2026 • 47 Min.

On May 20, 2013, residents of Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, awoke to a severe weather watch. But no one was overly concerned. Tornadoes are a fact of life in the Midwest, especially in Moore, which had already survived a devastating EF5-strength twister on May 3rd, 1999, packing winds of 321 miles per hour. No one really believed it could happen again. But soon, a powerful new tornado would be heading towards Moore – and two elementary schools, Plaza Towers and Briarwood, were right in its path. For more on this story, we recommend: The Mercy of the Sky by Holly Bailey (also available as an audiobook on Audible). Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.