Tornado Recovery Continues In North Tulsa

Tulsa city councilors hosted a Saturday town hall meeting to help storm victims in north Tulsa get connected with the right groups and contractors.

“The quicker you get it taken care of, the quicker you can put it behind you,” a councilor said.

Gary Smith and other tornado victims gathered at the meeting to find out more about the storm recovery process and to begin putting the dark night of March 30 behind them.

City crews continue to haul off debris from the storm, but once it's clear, residents say, they need to know what's next.

They want to know who can help with what and be educated on the scams and traps to avoid.

“I had been getting a lot of calls from individuals,” councilor Jack Henderson said. “Some of them didn't have any insurance, and some of them lost things and they wanted to know if there was any kind of effort to help them."

Solutions vary depending on whether the person owns or rents the home, and if they have insurance - what it can cover.

Some will be able to apply for an emergency repair grant, while others can solicit the help of volunteers from a range of organizations under VOAD or Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

Meaning, the Red Cross, Christian Charities and others.

"I think the biggest part is getting the word out to them to let them know what services are available to them,” councilor Connie Dotson said.

It's a learning curve most of these storm victims have had to take on fast. Smith says he's never been through anything like this.

And while he wants to be done with this chapter, he says he's thankful he got out with his life and for the lessons he's learned.

“And you definitely have to get insurance,” he said. “I mean on your life, on your vehicle, on your home, your property, your kids, you never know."

Special Coverage: Tornado Outbreak: March 30, 2016