Fire chief says search for survivors, victims of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete

Residents pass a destroyed car as they walk through a tornado-ravaged neighborhood Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (The Associated Press)

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Dalton Sprading, right, hands a gun to his uncle Roger Craft as he salvages items from his tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening an entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (The Associated Press)

A member of a security team helps guard an area of rubble from a destroyed residential neighborhood, one day after a tornado moved through Moore, Okla., Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against the winds. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (The Associated Press)

The fire chief in the Oklahoma City suburb raked by a massive tornado says the search for survivors and the dead is almost complete.

Fire Chief Gary Bird said Tuesday that he's "98 percent sure" there are no more survivors or bodies to recover under the rubble in Moore.

Bird says every damaged home has been searched at least once, and that his goal is to conduct three searches of each location just to be sure.

He's hopeful the work could be completed by nightfall, though heavy rains have slowed efforts and soaked debris piles.

Bird says no additional survivors or bodies have been found since Monday night.

Monday's tornado flattened homes and demolished an elementary school. At least 24 people were killed, including at least nine children.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/fire-chief-says-search-for-survivors-victims-of-oklahoma-tornado-nearly-complete