Oklahomans On Front Lines Helping With Hurricane Laura Recovery

The clean-up continues this evening in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura caused extensive damage, and some Green Country first responders are helping out on the front lines.

Tulsa firefighter Terry Sivadon is the lead of Oklahoma Task Force 1.

"They're seeing a lot of trees, lots of power lines down and the further north it gets, it gets kind of spotty," said Sivadon.

Sivadon is overseeing a crew of 37 Oklahoma first responders who were requested to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

"I'm helping in the operation center,” said Sivadon. “They're out in the field right now doing wide area searches."

Sivadon arrived in Louisiana on Monday before the hurricane hit.

He's stationed in Baton Rouge, but other members of his team are west of Alexandria and going to homes to assess damage and determine needs.

"They're going door to door and documenting what they see and what they find that way they have a record of it and then passing it on to the state," he said.

Sivadon said there is a lot of damage to houses, especially the further south you go.

He also said statewide, hundreds of thousands of people are still without power and running water, so they've ordered more bottles to be shipped in.

He said they'll probably be there for the next 2 to 3 days, but the clean-up for those affected will take much longer.