Tulsa Area Residents Help Woodward Tornado Victims

The National Weather Service now says the deadly tornado that hit Woodward was an EF-3 twister. The tornado chewed up everything in its path for about 31 miles.

At one point it had winds up to 165 miles per hour. Six people died in that storm, three of the victims were children. Relief efforts are going strong thanks to help from right here in Green Country.

Splintered by a killer twister, the town of Woodward is seeing helpful smiles from Northeast Oklahoma. Tulsa's Transport Workers Union Local 514 is treating disaster relief volunteers to a hot meal.

"Someday it may be us and we'd like to think that someone would return the favor," said Joe McGill with TWU Local 514.

The group brought bottled water, a smoker and all the trimmings for a cookout. They'll stay till the job's done.

"Hopefully until we run out of food or everybody gets fed," McGill said.

Earlier this week, six Tulsa area volunteers with the American Red Cross deployed to Woodward to work with affected residents. It's a big task since 89 homes were lost and hundreds more were damaged.

You don't have to travel to western Oklahoma to help out. KRMG and its COX colleagues organized a donation drive for Woodward tornado victims.

To help with relief efforts, the Salvation Army and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team have asked for cleanup items like trash bags, flashlights and batteries.

Bennetta Yager brought work gloves left over after a group of chainsaw volunteers helped her during the ice storm.

"Whenever you've had a disaster and someone has humbly helped you, you have to give back," Yager said.

Many of the donors say they've never even been to Woodward and it wouldn't matter if they had.

"When we have tragedies here, they come our way," Jerry Delozier said. "I think it's just a common, mature thing we do for our fellow man."

As each day brings more progress in Woodward, Oklahomans will keep sending support.

There is no need for clothing donations or for volunteers to "self-deploy" to the tornado-ravaged town. If you missed Tuesday's drive, the Salvation Army is still accepting donations.