Patricia and Richard Johnson wait outside of their home near Tushka while a crew with the Choctaw Nation cleans up debris from a recent storm. (PHOTO BY BRANDON FRYE)
Choctaw Nation assists Memorial Day storm victims
By Brandon Frye
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The tornado-producing storm, which followed U.S. Highway 69/75 northeast from Texas into Oklahoma on May 25, swept through the countryside near Tushka while Choctaws Patricia and Richard Johnson sought shelter in their storm cellar.
“All I could hear was the sound of wind, and I could smell cedar,” Patricia said.
The smell Mrs. Johnson recalled was a sign of the damage her land and house were enduring just outside the walls of her shelter. The towering cedar trees her father, original enrollee Fulsom Jacob, planted when he built a home on the land in 1969 were being ripped up, broken over, and falling to the ground.
Patricia said it was around 3 pm when the couple entered their cellar, and approximately 45 minutes later the storm hit. A silence broke in the commotion so she and her husband thought about getting back above ground, but it picked up again.
“We stayed in for a while, but when we came out everything was just gone,” Patricia said.
“It was so pretty out here before,” Richard recollected, “the cedar trees came all the way down the driveway and wrapped around.”
Their home had been moved a few feet, leaving the foundational cinder blocks leaning sideways. Their front patio appeared to have lost support and was toppling forward away from the home. A tree had fallen over onto the south end of the house, cracking the walls inside. The electricity lines were broken, with poles being knocked over. The water line to their home had been busted. The couple had no access to utilities after the storm.
But they were thankful. Patricia expressed appreciation for the 30-minute-early warning before the storm hit. She also thanked the Choctaw Nation and Councilman Anthony Dillard for having recently installed her storm shelter.
“I am glad they helped because we might not have survived if they hadn’t,” Patricia said.
Two days after the storm, Richard and Patricia stood outside on their lawn as workers with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Office of Environmental Health (OEH) used heavy machinery, chainsaws, and their hands to clean up the debris.
The OEH team, lead by Tim Noahubi, had arrived the day before to begin cleanup and had returned for a second day to help the Johnsons reclaim a safe and clear house and yard.
Normally, OEH works with water, sanitation, and waste water. It is a program which aids CDIB holders within the 10 1/2 counties of the Choctaw Nation with problems involving wells, city water, rural water, septic tanks, and city sewers.
Noahubi said his team has offered this new kind of help for the last few years, cleaning up after heavy storm emergencies. After the Tushka tornado, there was a focus on community assistance, he explained.
“This is why our service is here, to help the Choctaw people,” Noahubi said. “We turn into a tree and debris removal crew for the tribe, and if it is needed it is what we do. When storms like this come through, hopefully we can be here for people who need emergency help.”
Choctaws who are experiencing emergencies similar to what the Johnsons did are welcome to call the Choctaw Nation and see if assistance is available. An office has set been organized to handle relief for those affected by the recent storms and flooding. To inquire about assistance this storm season call: (800) 522-6170 ext. 2183 or 2496.