EL RENO, Okla. – People who survived the deadly EF-3 tornado that destroyed a motel and several mobile homes are beginning the process of cleaning up.
“I had just turned the TV off, seems like, and laid back down, and closed my eyes and, then, all of a sudden, I was bouncing around,” Sidonna Jeans told News 4.
That’s because an EF-3 tornado was tearing through Jeans’ El Reno home.
“All I said was woah because I didn’t want to fall off the bed,” she said.
Miraculously, with nowhere to take shelter, Jeans and her husband are okay. However, their home is barely standing.
“It’s leaning real bad, and everything is all torn up. It’s not, not livable anymore,” she said.
Several other homes in the mobile home park are also destroyed.
The American Red Cross is gathering supplies and helping people with nowhere to go find a place to stay.
It’s not only victims of Saturday’s tornado that are in need of some help. El Reno has been pounded with severe weather for the past few weeks.
“I woke up at 4:30 to go to work, and stepped on the carpet, and it was soaked and, when we opened up our front door, it just comes gushing,” Jovona Robinson told News 4.
Robinson had to be rescued by boat last Tuesday because her home was filled with flood waters.
“They have to go in and completely gut the house, and our cars were under water. Right now, my car is running, but I have somebody coming in to look at it to asses the damage,” she said.
Robinson also spent Monday thankful for a free meal and some much-need supplies from the Red Cross.
El Reno has been devastated by the aftermath of severe weather both over the weekend and last week, but many are just trying to stay strong.
“You can’t do anything if you’re upset, you can be stressed and upset but you can’t do anything. You can’t think or nothing,” Jeans said. “It was just a bad deal.”
The Red Cross is asking for donations of things like water bottles, diapers, blankets, toiletries, trash bags and plastic tubs. They are accepting donations at the First Baptist of El Reno Shepherd House.