Tuesday, July 2, 2013

A Call of Relief for Moore Oklahoma


On May 20, 2013 a heavily populated area of Moore Oklahoma was hit by an EF4 tornado which killed 24 people including 10 children, injured 377 and left 1,150 homes destroyed. In addition Moore Medical Center was heavily damaged. This is not the first time a tornado has touched down in Moore, in 1999 a EF5 tornado hit Moore and killed 36 residents injuring 295. Now over a month later Moore residents are still searching for the emergency funding that was promised by so many organizations.

The majority of neighborhoods in and around Moore were obliterated from one of the deadliest tornadoes since the U.S. Joplin, Missouri tornado in 2011; FEMA deployed Urban Search and rescue teams to hit areas, also incident common personnel was sent to organize and support rescue efforts.  President Obama declared Oklahoma a major disaster area and ordered federal aid to the affected areas.  The United Nation also offered to help residents of Oklahoma with any recovery efforts. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder donated $1 million which was then matched by the Oklahoma City Thunders. Charles Nelson who is the Co-founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes in Los Angeles also donated proceeds to the support effort for Oklahoma. So where are the funds going and why aren’t they being used to support all of Oklahoma ?

The mayor Mr. Glenn Lewis has stated that he would like to create an ordinance that would require storm shelters or safe rooms to be built in new housing. This is a great idea since schools and homes were not built to sustain the pressure of an EF5 tornado, however, it is the building of these new housing units that needs to be addressed.  Similarly, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin spoke with President Obama who requested that officials “be in touch directly if there were additional resources the administration could provide.” Well Mr. President the residents of Moore are in dire need of those additional resources. 

Moore Oklahoma is a community of working class Americans, however, a month after the storm residents are still living out of tents, homes are still leveled and many victims who are trying to beat the summer heat must do so out of the kind heartedness of their neighbors. Many residents are need of clothing and simple care packages that return so type of normalcy to the community. United Way has not helped with the efforts to rebuild the Moore community. In a thank you letter sent to residents United Way thanked the Moore residents for helping to raise $22,366,410 for Central Oklahoma.  As many reader well remember the concert held by Blake Shelton which raised $6 million which was donated to the United Way for relief efforts in and around Oklahoma. However, many residents of Moore are still without shelter or food. What is not said is how the United Way plans to use this money so that it benefits Oklahoma as a whole.

Who is fighting for the rights of these victims? Who will stand and see the devastation and offer a hand in helping these residents gain the simple pleasures that each and every American is entitled to. The United Way must open contact with a representative of Moore like Mayor Lewis and come up with a plan that distributes relief funds equally throughout Oklahoma. This is a call for relief from those who had pledged to donate, the devastation is not over but the people of Moore are strong and they will rebuild but it is up to their representatives to supply them with the means of doing so. Please Mr. President, Governor Fallin and Mayor Lewis do not overlook Moore and all the other places that are still in need of assistance; keep the promises that you made in May and make sure the money goes where it is most needed to helping restore Oklahoma back to its former glory.

Shateya R. Richardson
Cite:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/01/mile-wide-tornado-oklahoma-disaster-discovery_n_3372623.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/moore-tornado-2013-oklahoma_n_3308904.html

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