Reconnecting Oklahoma Tornado Victims With Their Lost Photos

People here in our area are finding all kinds of things picked up by yesterday's powerful tornadoes.

Many personal items like checks and photographs have ended up all the way here in Eastern Oklahoma.

It's hard to imagine twisters picking up things and sending them half way across the state, but that's what happened all over the area Sunday.

When the powerful tornadoes leveled houses in parts of central Oklahoma, the strong winds also lifted a lot of things high into the sky.

Wayne Taylor was watching approaching storms at his home in Mounds.

"I just walked out the back door there and came around," Taylor said.

As he watched the clouds, he saw something falling.

"I couldn't believe it would go that far," he said.

It turned out to be a Bethel middle school awards certificate, which had traveled about 60 miles.

"Outstanding Spanish student and good citizen," Taylor said.

People all over Eastern Oklahoma are finding items picked up by the tornadoes.

Brian Rathbone was visiting relatives in Glenpool when something fluttering in the sky caught his eye.

"Sure enough it was a check from Newalla, Oklahoma," Rathbone said.

On a direct line, that's nearly 70 miles away.

He said he's amazed at how something can be sent so far.

"I've always heard stories of pictures and stuff flying out of the sky. It's pretty crazy seeing it yourself. Literally, you could just see it falling from way up high," Rathbone said.

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Whether it's storm debris dropping in Cleveland or Sapulpa or a family photo that landed in Broken Arrow, many people are finding items from those homes hit in central Oklahoma, and are posting them on a special Facebook page.

That's what Kristi Hodge did when she found a picture and Valentine's Day card near her home in Ramona.

"I was thinking Carney or Shawnee, but this one is even further away," Hodge said.

Hodge was able to track down the owner because of social media, and it turns out the items are from a storm damaged house near Lake Thunderbird, nearly 100 miles away.

She's glad to at least provide some comfort for people going through such a terrible situation.

"To have some memento that you didn't think you were going to have back was just awesome, especially at a time when things are so chaotic right now," Hodge said.

One thing to keep in mind, if you find something and it has very personal information, like a check, or if it has a Social Security number on it, it's not a good idea to post it publicly.

It's better to try to find the person, or go through the financial institution on the document.

See the Facebook page here.