Oklahomans pitch in to help communities recover after deadly tornado

2 years ago 432

TULSA, Okla. — Oklahomans are pitching successful to assistance arsenic communities enactment to retrieve from Friday night's deadly tornado.

“It's mind-blowing and heartbreaking to spot conscionable the utter and implicit destruction," said Lisa Saylor.

Saylor is from Claremore and is the manager of catastrophe alleviation for Mercy Chefs. She's presently successful Mayfield, Kentucky, which is 1 of the hardest-hit areas from the tornado.

“The archetypal time we were present I don’t deliberation we saw a azygous psyche who didn’t conscionable look successful shock," Saylor said.

Mercy Chefs brings mobile kitchens to provender residents and archetypal responders successful areas deed by a disaster, similar Mayfield.

Saylor said, portion this brings backmost memories of helping aft the Moore and Joplin tornadoes, she’s ne'er seen thing similar this demolition before.

“For the past fewer days it’s been a beauteous overwhelming situation," Saylor said. "I americium a seasoned catastrophe alleviation worker, 9 years successful the field. I person not seen the benignant of demolition that I’ve conscionable looked astatine possibly ever successful 1 spot, truthful concentrated similar that.”

Other Oklahomans are besides uncovering ways to assistance out.

While Michael Ellegood present lives successful Haskell, conscionable southbound of Coweta, helium grew up successful Mayfield and Dresden, Tennessee, different country deed by the tornado.

“It’s 1 of those communities and towns that if you’re there, you cognize everybody," helium said.

He said his contiguous household is okay, but there’s inactive a batch to interest about.

“Basically conscionable worrying and hoping and praying that it didn’t deed you directly," Ellegood said. "And present it’s conscionable household and different friends that you knew and you grew up with that are, immoderate are inactive missing.”

After seeing the aftermath of the tornado, Ellegood started asking for donations done Facebook to instrumentality backmost home. He's requesting items similar apparel and bottled water.

What helium thought would conscionable beryllium a small help, turned into much than helium imagined. So far, he's filled his motortruck furniture up aggregate times with items.

“I was already going backmost location and I conscionable didn’t privation to spell backmost location empty-handed to nothing, to beryllium honorable with you," Ellegood said. "Because the way that I question I’ve seen videos and there’s not a gathering lasting anymore.”

No strangers to tornadoes themselves, Green Country residents are giving backmost to those who request it most.

“My extremity present is to conscionable support spreading Oklahoma love," Saylor said.

Ellegood leaves for Kentucky and Tennessee connected Thursday. He's collecting donations done Wednesday. You tin driblet them disconnected astatine Bent Rod Customs successful Broken Arrow.

You tin larn much astir and donate to Mercy Chefs here.

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