Red Cross sends Greene County man to Oklahoma tornado cleanup
The American Red Cross Western Pennsylvania Region deployed a Greene County volunteer to Oklahoma to assist with disaster relief efforts following the recent outburst of tornadoes in the Midwest.
Mike Yandura of Nemacolin is working to facilitate community partnerships in the Carney area during his two-week deployment. He left May 25.
“We go out and make contacts with other community resources, touching base with them to see if there’s anything that we can do for them,” said Yandura, who is ensuring that the people and organizations of Carney have their interests, needs and concerns represented during the relief operation.
“We try to set up a liaison with the people who are there to assist with the victims’ needs.”
Carney, a small town 30 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, sustained damage from an EF3 tornado on May 19, one day before a more powerful twister struck Moore, Okla., killing 24 and injuring almost 400. Entire neighborhoods of Moore, which sits just south of Oklahoma City, were flattened by the massive EF5 tornado.
The damage in Carney wasn’t as devastating as in Moore, said Yandura, but the area still took a hard hit.
“For the most part [the tornado] went through farmland,” he said. “But when a tornado comes through, it removes everything in its path, like fencing, telephone poles and all the wiring. It’s not just knocked down — it’s gone. And it has to be totally replaced.”
Several homes in Carney were demolished by the tornado, Yandura said.
Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Oklahoma continue as emergency aid stations and shelters hand out food and relief supplies to those affected by the devastating storms.
Ten emergency aid stations are providing food, relief supplies, health and mental health care and information about further assistance to people in need, according to the Red Cross. Meals and relief supplies are available at feeding sites and are being distributed throughout the community.
In addition, five Red Cross community shelters are open in Oklahoma.
The organization reported that as of Monday it has provided victims more than 84,000 meals and snacks and distributed nearly 21,000 relief items, including toiletries and recovery items such as shovels, trash bags and blankets.
Health services volunteers are working with the Medical Reserve Corps to visit the injured in local hospitals and are helping people replace prescriptions and other medical items at emergency aid stations, and mental health workers are providing emotional support in shelters and aid stations.
Spiritual care teams are helping to comfort those affected.
“We have made a lot of relationships,” Yandura said of his time so far in Carney. “And here, they’re really big on trust. They don’t like to see strangers, so we’re establishing ourselves, and they’re trusting us.”
The Red Cross has mobilized more than 800 workers from across the country to assist Oklahomans in response to the destruction of tornadoes. Forty-five Red Cross emergency response vehicles have been deployed to distribute food and relief supplies throughout neighborhoods.
Red Cross relief efforts also continue in Texas following a series of tornadoes in the greater Fort Worth area, including an EF4 that touched down near the city of Granbury on May 15, killing six and injuring dozens. Red Cross volunteers are providing food, relief supplies and emotional support to the recovering communities.
Yandura, who plans to return home to Pennsylvania on June 10, became involved with the local Red Cross in August when he began working with its disaster action team. The former office manager at NuRelm Inc. in Uniontown was looking to stay active after a series of medical problems forced him out of work.
“When the opening came up for someone to be deployed here, I said yes,” said Yandura, who has also had experience as a paramedic. “I really wanted to get out and see what was going on with some major disasters.”
“The Red Cross is always looking for volunteers, and to support them by volunteering or giving blood or donations would be the greatest thing in the world right now,” Yandura added.
The American Red Cross Disaster Relief program is accepting donations to help victims of natural disasters. To make a donation call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit online at www.redcross.org, or make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999. Donations help provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected.