Progress made from cleanup, volunteer help in Barnsdall after April 1 tornado
Cleanup continues throughout the city of Barnsdall in Osage County, but progress is coming faster than expected. The city of Barnsdall, Oklahoma, has made progress in cleaning up after a tornado destroyed much of the town on April 1. The city was heavily damaged by an EF-1 tornado that left about 35 homes damaged, but residents believe they were lucky not to be seriously injured. Despite the damage, efforts have been made to repair the damage. Volunteers from the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief have been instrumental in the recovery efforts, with many residents expressing gratitude and relief alike. The fire chief said the tornado damaged about 35 houses but could have been worse if it had been more severe.
Publié : il y a un mois par By: Samson Tamijani, Samson Tamijani dans Weather
BARNSDALL, Okla. — Cleanup continues throughout the city of Barnsdall in Osage County, but progress is coming faster than expected.
The city motto is "a little town with a big heart." In fact, the city was called Bigheart until the early 1920s. Throughout the past two days there’s been nothing but compassion and hard work at play.
Above all the damage that's been collected, blessings are what continue to be counted in its neighborhoods.
“They're grateful and we are too. We're grateful to be able to help," volunteer Bob Rowe with Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief told 2 News.
Barnsdall resident Shandi Bassett said she feared the worst April 1 when an EF-1 tornado shredded much of the town.
"We were very lucky," Bassett said. "I mean with the gas leak that night and power was out all night long and then the whole next day pretty much until about 2:30. But yeah, for nobody to be injured and this town to be in the condition it is in, we're lucky."
Insurance adjuster Jeff Mason was surprised to see the progress many neighbors have already made with repairs.
"It looks like everybody's getting to work and getting everything put back together," Mason said. "They're not sitting around and looking at it. I see roofs getting roofed already and all that."
The disaster relief volunteers got to town Wednesday.
"I knew we'd be getting a call pretty quick, and we were prepared," Rowe said. "We had all the equipment ready. We were just waiting for the call."
A large ash tree leaning towards a house on Cedar Avenue was the third one Rowe's group cut down. Bassett said it almost destroyed her landlord's house in the storm.
"It's caused so much damage to this house already. And that just topped it off right there," she added.
For Barnsdall, regrouping and rebuilding is the only way forward. For that, residents like Bassett are happy.
“I mean we couldn't ask for much more. God is good."
Barnsdall's fire chief said the tornado damaged about 35 homes in total, but clarified it "could have been so much worse."
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Les sujets: Tornadoes