Volunteers Needed To Help Clean Out Tulsa Neighborhood

Thousands of people across green country are getting their first look at the flooding damage to their homes as the water is finally receding.

Volunteers poured into the Town and Country neighborhood in Sand Springs, ready to help.

For some people, this is the first time they’ve seen their home in a week. It may not look like a lot of damage on the outside but for most of the homes it’s a total loss inside.

It’s the first step to a very long journey.

More than five feet of water filled some areas of the Town and Country neighborhood and now most of these residents are having to start over completely.

Mike Lehew helps run a community center close to the river... he knows this is where the work starts but is blown away by the support from volunteers.

"I hate that this has happened but the community has been brought closer together. That's the spirit of Oklahoma here," said Lehew.

More than a hundred volunteers from as far as Oklahoma City grabbed their boots and gloves and joined in to help.

"We'll be in there pulling out the carpet, wet furniture, making sure that those wet materials, even the sheetrock gets pulled out so that we can sort of stop that mold growth before it gets too bad and can't recover," said David Bock, Disaster Response Program Coordinator. 

The plan is to tear out the entire interior, let it dry and then start scrubbing and bleaching each of the homes.

One man said he lost everything except his truck and is now having to start from scratch.

"It is really nice even when that is happening, now that disasters are more and more common, it is nice to still see people coming out and dedicating their time and we are happy to be here to help do that effectively," said Bock. 

Several Red Cross crews are in neighborhoods as well, keeping workers fed and hydrated.

As these volunteers and homeowners are working to clean up the mess left from the flooding, some say they just can't put this into words.

"At first it's like what's next. That's the question that goes through my mind. It is going to be a long process. And so we have to be willing to stick around beyond just the day, the week, the two weeks," said Lehew. 

If you have been affected by the floods and storms you are asked to visit damage.ok.gov to report damages.