Tulsa Organization Stepping In To Help Recovering Tornado Victim

Two months after a tornado ripped through north Tulsa, recovery is proving next to impossible for many residents.

For Yolanda Lucas, the March tornado did more than just damage her home, it uprooted her entire life.

Due to the extensive damage – gaping holes in the roof and gutted walls – Lucas and her family are still being forced to sleep away from their home.

"I was devastated, I was devastated. I had put a lot of hard work into remodeling," she said.

She was remodeling because a fire swept through her home before the tornado hit.

“I don't want to think about it. It's hard," Lucas said.

Lucas said 45 minutes after she left the house she got a phone call saying the tornado was in her area. She hurried home, praying her was house wasn’t hit, then saw the damage.

“Disaster. Just, I mean, everything, everywhere," she said.

Lucas, a single mom with a son in college, also takes care of her 14-year-old nephew. She’s now forced to call on family for a place to sleep until the home she's owned for eight years is fixed.

The damage to her home happened in March, but with no insurance, not much has changed.

"Due to the mold, we had to tear down everything. This past week we tore down all the walls, basically," Lucas said.

So she reached out to pastor Tim Newton and the Dream Center for help.

“As you can see behind me, she needs a lot more than just a few shingles," Newton said.

The pastor is now devoting his time to raising money for repairs.

“We definitely need close to $10,000 to $15,000 to complete her house," he said.

Water is still leaking on the floor from the roof that needs to be replaced, and many rooms – nearly the whole house - need to be completely redone before it can be used again.

Newton said, "There is still a lot of work that needs to be done here in this community for people that do not have any insurance."

Lucas said she’s thankful she wasn’t there when the tornado hit, and hopes to call her house a home again.

"I would have been in the middle. I probably wouldn't be here," she said.

If you would like to help, you can make donations by visiting the Dream Center’s website. You can also call 918-430-9984 and ask for Pastor Newton for more information.