Copyright © 2006 NLThomas
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Volunteers from the Cherokee Nation serve food, donated by Cherokee Nation Enterprises, to
tornado victims.

TWIN OAKS, OKLAHOMA – Cherokee Nation emergency service teams and responders from several counties converged on the tiny community of Twin Oaks to aid in rescue operations after a tornado swept through the area Sunday evening. Several homes were destroyed by the storm.

Cherokee Nation’s Marshal Service, Risk Management and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) took the lead in setting up a command post center at the Oaks fire department to begin sending out rescue squads to search for people in need.

“About 9:30 p.m. or so a tornado touched down out here swiping a path from Leach to Colcord,” said Martin Webb, ambulance supervisor for Cherokee Nation Emergency Medical Services. “Within 45 minutes we had around four square miles of Oaks searched and secured. We transported eight people to the nearby hospital in Siloam Springs. Now we are just asking for people in this area to check in with the Delaware County Sheriff’s office and get accounted for.”

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith stated that he was glad tribal resources were available to help those families displaced by the storms.

“Many Cherokee Nation citizens live in the areas affected by the storms, and we are happy to assist them in their time of need. The Cherokee Nation has some of the best trained emergency management officials in the area, including our Marshals, Risk Management and EMS personnel. We are glad we have these resources and professionals to assist in times of disasters,” Smith said.

Around ten to twelve families are without their homes and are currently living in the Oaks Mission, with close to 50 to 60 homes being completely destroyed.

“We didn’t know the tornado was coming and the local fire department was the first ones to come and check on us,” said Twin Oak resident Carrie Cafornia. “We still have our home, but we are without water and electricity. Unfortunately, for our neighbors though, their home was destroyed and now we are taking food and water to them.”

“We believe this tornado was close to an F3 tornado,” said Gary Metcalf, director for Delaware County Emergency Management. “It cleared a path approximately 20 to 25 miles in length with anywhere between a half of a mile to a mile wide debris field. We will have to wait for tests to see just how big this tornado was.”

The intensity of tornados are ranked according to the Fujita Scale, which is used to rate the intensity of a tornado by examining the damage caused by the tornado after it has passed over a man-made structure. An F2 tornado can have wind speeds of 115 to 137 miles per hour while an F3 tornado holds wind speeds in between 158 and 206 miles per hour.

Cherokee Nation Enterprises was also on hand Monday to deliver food to the rescue workers and those victims displaced by the tornado.

“We will also be preparing an evening meal,” said Gina Olaya, director of corporate communications and government relations for Cherokee Nation Enterprises. “We have the culinary arts class from Cherokee Nation Job Corps cooking chicken and meatloaf, and vegetables and dessert for those in need in this area.”

Dustin McCrary, who is a citizen of Oaks and serves as a Cherokee Nation Emergency Medical Technician and assistant fire chief of the Oaks fire department, was one of the first to arrive on the scene.

“When I showed up there were people walking around everywhere looking for family members. It was chaos,” McCrary said. “However, the support we received shortly thereafter from the surrounding fire stations and ambulance services was overwhelming. People came in from Wagoner County to Siloam Springs, Arkansas, to assist us with search and rescue. But there are still so many homes that need to be checked.”

Search and Rescue will continue as those in the Twin Oak area begin to pick up the pieces of what is left of their town.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org