Volunteers Help Owasso Storm Victims Clean Up Damage

Just as fast as the storms came Thursday, crews showed up in Owasso to help with the clean-up.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief chainsaw crews were already helping storm victims.

Most of the damage consisted of uprooted trees or limbs on the ground, but some homes were also hit pretty hard in Owasso.

Carl Post lives off 106th Street North near 166th East Avenue. A long-time Oklahoman, he's seen the storms get close, “but not this close,” he said.

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Huge trees came crashing down; two hit the front of his house. His fences are ruined and shingles from his roof were torn away.

Post is a trained volunteer with Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief - a group that takes no donations, is in 43 states and has 87,000 trained volunteers in Oklahoma alone.  Robert Murphy, also with the group, said they were grateful they could come Post's aid, and hopeful their effort will reduce his burden.

“A house like this, it might have been three or four thousand dollars to remove these trees, and we do it for free, and we're glad to do it," Murphy said.

Before the storms came through with winds strong enough to wrap sheet metal around trees, Post's wife's phone went off.

"My wife got a warning on her phone, and then the wind really did pick up, so we headed for the - we have a spot underneath the stairwell,” he said.

They emerged to find the damage, but were thankful the volunteers and friends showed up to help.

"They are a great group. They'll help anybody out, not just co-workers," Post said.

The Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief group said they will be back in Post's neighborhood Friday to continue to help others clean up the damage.