Country music star and Moore native Toby Keith speaks out about the tragedy

• The performer says he grew up in the town of Moore, Oklahoma, which has been ravaged by the devastating tornado
• He says the number of casualties could have been much worse if it weren't for the vigilance of forecasters
• Keith adds that Moore is 'strong,' and 'will persevere'
  

By Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press

PUBLISHED: 00:59 EST, 21 May 2013 | UPDATED: 09:11 EST, 21 May 2013

Country music performer Toby Keith says he grew up in the area near Oklahoma City that was hit by a devastating tornado - and says the community will 'persevere' in the wake of the storm.

Keith issued a statement saying Monday's tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, devastated the community in which he grew up.

The city has embraced Keith's celebrity and his name is on the Moore water tower.

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Native: Toby Keith is from Moore, Oklahoma, the part of the state that has been ravaged by Monday's tornado

Path of destruction: This aerial photo shows the remains of homes hit by a massive tornado in Moore

Keith says he remembers riding his bicycle through the stricken neighborhoods.

Speaking to CNN’s Anderson Cooper by phone from Nashville, Tennessee, Keith said: 'It’s devastating.'

He added that the number of casualties could have been much higher had it not been for the vigilance of forecasters.

'Oklahoma's really good. Great meteorologists. Have great weather centers and they prepare you for this. The numbers could be much much higher.'

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Sadness: A woman holds her cat as she sits in the driveway of her demolished home

Rescuers are still working to pull people from the rubble in the community that's southwest of Oklahoma City.

At least 91 people are confirmed dead, and more than 200 have been injured.

The giant twister roared through the Oklahoma City suburb obliterating entire neighborhoods and pulverizing a 30-square-mile stretch with winds up to 200 mph.

Block after block lay in ruins. Homes were crushed into piles of broken wood. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside.

In a statement, Keith said: 'This storm has devastated the community that I grew up in. I rode my bike through those neighborhoods. I have family and friends in Moore.

'My heart and prayers go to those that have lost so much. But Moore is strong and we will persevere. God be with you all.'

Message of hope: Keith says that his hometown of Moore is strong and 'will persevere

Leveled: What remains of a destroyed home is pictured after the monster tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma

VIDEO Fellow Oklahoma natives Hanson plead for support to be sent to the area 

Oklahoma-born Pop group Hanson plea for help for tornado victims