Oklahoma Non-Profits, Volunteers Step Up To Help Tornado Victims

Oklahomans are stepping up to help tornado victims after a deadly outbreak of storms hit five states, including Arkansas. 

The Salvation Army and Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief teams are there now. Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief still has a team of nearly 40 people in Louisiana doing recovery work after Hurricane Ida. But they were able to get another team of Oklahomans together to hit the road for Arkansas. 

The scene in Arkansas after the weekend tornadoes left roofs blown off, trees snapped and uprooted, mangled metal, and debris scattered everywhere. 

"The initial reports are that there are more than 200 homes damaged or destroyed in Trumann, Arkansas,” Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief Director Don Williams said. 

A team of 8 men from the Hugo area hit the road early Monday morning and made the six-hour drive to help their neighbors. Their focus will be on cutting tree limbs with their chainsaws. 

"Some of the guys on this team are more than 80 years old. And they're gonna be out there swinging chainsaws and working 8 hours a day until the job gets done,” Williams said. 

The Salvation Army is in Trumann, too. Disaster Resource Manager Wayde Normandin said two women are serving food to victims and first responders. 

"They need a hot meal, they need a comforting touch, they need a hot cup of coffee, water, it's just everything there, it just brings a little bit of normalcy to their lives that have been turned upside down,” Normandin said. 

Both teams plan to be in the town for about a week, meeting two different needs, but with the same servant's heart.