Photo By Daniel Nelson | Moore resident Sandra Adams, left, gives U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Drew Stanley a hug...... read more read more
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MOORE, Okla. – As a community shatters in the wake of a deadly EF-5 tornado, ordinary citizens become heroes as they rise to the need of others and give selflessly to those directly affected. Many who answered the call to help were volunteers or first responders, but others responded to the Moore tornado as citizen soldiers and airmen serving their communities.
The lives of two individuals came together May 20 in the midst of the destruction when an Oklahoma Air National Guardsman provided aid to a Moore citizen pulled from the rubble and literally gave her the shirt off his back.
Moore native Sandra Adams, 65, was in bed when her 88-year old mother came to get her to take cover in one of their bathtubs along with the family dog, Duke. With wind speeds of more than 200 mph, Adams remembers the sound the tornado made as it passed overhead, tearing up everything it came in contact with.
“It got really loud as the tornado came closer, the lights went out and everything around us began falling inward on top of us,” said Adams. “I could see through some of the debris that there was even more debris flying around overhead. Once all of the chaos was over, I could see some light through the stuff now on top of us. That’s when I knew my house was gone.”
With the tornado now passed her, Adams and her mother found themselves buried in their bathtub unable to dig their way out. They had no choice but to wait and call for help until someone could make their way through the rubble that once was her neighborhood.
“I had just one oxygen bottle with less than 30 minutes of use left on it when a 13-year old boy found us,” said Adams. “He yelled to me that he was going to have to get some bigger guys to help get me out.”
It took four men to dig Adams and her mother out of their debris-covered bathtub and carry them to a place where they could receive medical treatment and wait for transportation to the nearest hospital. Little did she know that she would soon meet a member of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, who would make a lasting impression on her during a time of chaos and sadness.
Fellow Moore resident, Tech. Sgt. Drew Stanley, was at work at the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base when the reports of the tornado began being televised. Stanley, an air cargo specialist for the logistical readiness squadron, 137th Air Refueling Wing, Oklahoma Air National Guard, watched as local meteorologists projected the tornado’s path to pass over his house.
“I drove home to make sure my roommates and dogs were going to be pulled out of the storm cellar,” said Stanley. “I had been through a tornado a year earlier and knew that police officers would block off the area to people who weren’t first responders.”
Fortunate to find his home was not in the direct path of the tornado, Stanley turned his focus on making sure his family members, who also live in the area, were safe. After checking on his loved ones, he then responded to radio broadcasts that nearby Briarwood Elementary had been hit by the tornado and still had children stuck inside.
“I headed that direction to help, but the traffic was so bad I had to pull over and began running to help,” said Stanley. “With power lines down and the neighborhood being completely cut off from vehicle access, getting in to check for people was difficult.”
A police officer on the scene saw Stanley in his Air Force uniform and waved him down to have him help administer aid to victims that were emerging from the rubble and storm cellars. Stanley suddenly found himself in the middle of the chaos, standing on rubble piles that were once occupied houses earlier that day, and providing first aid along with police officers and off-duty firefighters.
“I never made it to the school because victims began coming out before I made it there, so I began immediate first aid with the first responders in the area,” said Stanley.
Making sure everyone was in stable condition before moving on to the next person, Stanley was about to meet Adams for the first time.
“When I found Sandra, she was shaking so hard,” said Stanley. “I gave her my (Air Force) blouse after asking her if she was cold and she said ‘yes’. I then began treating her for shock; everyone was in shock.”
The deadly tornado that ripped through the quiet communities of Newcastle, Moore and southeast Oklahoma City is responsible for 24 deaths, including 10 children, just one day after another tornado took the lives of two people in Shawnee only 30 miles to the east of Oklahoma City.
With damages estimated to be more than $2 billion, the path of destruction is similar to a tornado that claimed the lives of 44 people on May 3, 1999.
At its strongest stage, the tornado turned toward Moore headed for hundreds of homes, several schools, medical facilities and local businesses all in its path. Immediately after the tornado ripped through southeast Oklahoma City, hundreds of first responders and volunteers quickly converged on the area to look for survivors having to dig through a 17-mile long trail of debris.
The lives of many people changed in the aftermath of the deadly tornado that ripped through central Oklahoma, but the two strangers, who would have otherwise never met, were able to leave a positive light on a tragic incident.
Adams was determined to find the owner of the Air Force blouse to him once she was safe and stable in a regional hospital. So, she used local media channels to set up a meeting with her Air Force rescuer.
With a smile on his face and a handful of flowers, Stanley walked into Adams hospital room for what would be their only the second meeting. This time, it was on more pleasant terms, with Adams giving Stanley a big hug in appreciation, his military blouse back and many praises of thanks.
“It’s great seeing that she is fine,” said Stanley. “I’m glad I could bring a little light on such a devastating situation.”
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2013 23:01 |
| Story ID: | 107517 |
| Location: | MOORE, OK, US |
| Hometown: | MOORE, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 212 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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