Local Disaster Relief Group Sets Out To Serve Community Devastated By Hurricane Laura

A Glenpool disaster relief group packed up and prepared to meet the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

Nine volunteers with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief left for Louisiana on Sunday to help after the natural disaster devastated the Lake Charles community.

"Hurricane Laura was a record-breaking storm for that area,” Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer Dick Faurot said. “It was basically like having a large tornado move over a very large area. Lots of damage." 

Laura was a Category 4 storm that blew out windows, ripped roofs off homes and washed away memories leaving some with nothing but debris and mangled branches. 

Kiana Wray just moved to Oklahoma to begin her freshman year at Oklahoma Baptist University. 

"My dad's house and my bedroom… the roof caved in and like it's been raining and stuff,” Wray said. “And my house, which is my sister-in-law and brother's house, the whole side of the house got caved in and damaged.” 

Wray is now headed back to Louisiana where she'll find a town she will likely not recognize.

"My family is back home, my friends, my community,” Wray said. “I'm so thankful that, even though I moved to Oklahoma three weeks ago, that I get to go back home and just be able to serve and love on them and show them that God is still willing and He is able to allow us to go back." 

Wray left with the relief group for Lake Charles where she and other volunteers will put in 10-hour days removing debris and gutting homes. 

"It's a lot different from seeing it on TV and then actually being there, interacting with the people who are being impacted,” Faurot said. “Seeing what they have to deal with and then knowing that we are being the hands and feet of the Lord: we're helping as much as we can." 

The group’s team leader said they're coming prepared with chainsaws, a skid steer and lots of manpower. 

"Many times, disasters draw people together and disasters can be healing at times," team leader Brent Headrick said. "The biggest thing is just bringing hope back to people, which Christ brings to us." 

“We're just going to go back and serve and rebuild, because that's who we are in Louisiana,” Wray said. “We come together, and we unite as a community, and we just do whatever it takes." 

The group just asks for everyone’s thoughts and prayers as the set out to serve the people of Louisiana. 

For more information about the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, click here.