Neighbors Help Neighbors Dig Out From Quapaw Tornado

Starting just after the storm hit, neighbors came out to help those most affected by the Quapaw tornado. <br />

Monday, April 28th 2014, 10:37 pm

By: News On 6


Sunday night, as soon as we had the video from SkyNews 6 of the tornado damage in Quapaw - just after the storm hit - you could already see neighbors helping neighbors.

On Monday, some even from Joplin came here to help. Everyone has a story from the terrifying moments Sunday night.

Pam Harris is still in a state of shock. Sunday night she rode out the tornado in her Prius - after stopping to take a picture of the old building that is now a pile of rubble.

"How did I not get hit by all this stuff?" asked survivor Pam Harris as she cleaned up after an EF-2 tornado.

"When I was done with the picture I heard a strange noise like helicopter, and debris started blowing," she said. "I just sat in my car and said 'help me, Jesus' and miraculously I'm OK."

She believes, however, that she rode in the ambulance alongside the wife of the man that didn't survive, 68-year-old John Brown.

"She just said, 'I couldn't wake him,'" Harris said.

4/28/2014 Related Story: Quapaw Tornado Victims Thankful To Survive

For everyone else that survived this storm - a tough day just 24 hours after it hit. Longtime Red Cross volunteer John Wolfe helped hand out some essentials.

"Hand sanitizer, rakes, shovels, tarps - things people need to clean up yards," he said.

Susan Lawson says she feels lucky her entire family survived - including the dogs - who were outside when the storm hit.

"It just breaks my heart to lose my granddaughter's playhouse, swing set, trampoline and that kind of stuff bothers me but everybody's OK," she said.

Susan says that's all that matters.

"There's nothing better; doesn't get any better than that," she said.

The emergency folks here in Quapaw have been working so hard, they called it a night this evening. The town of Grove has stepped in to keep a close eye on things overnight.

 

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