Bridge Creek Residents Feel Forgotten As Debris From May 6 Storm Remains

It's been 25 days since a tornado swept through Bridge Creek, but neighbors say from the looks of all the debris that still remains, it feels like the storm just struck.

If the recent bad weather wasn't already a big enough challenge for storm victims cleaning up, it's the lack of swift assistance that's really been their biggest hang-up.

Weeks after the May 6 tornado in Bridge Creek, Mike and Thearesa McDonald can't wait any longer for help.

"It's pretty tough, it's overwhelming, every time you turn around there's more and more," said Thearesa McDonald.

So much debris from their home of seven years, that instead of waiting for a service to come pick up the rubble they've started to burn it. Not long after the storm, the McDonald's signed up for help at the Bridge Creek Multi-Agency Resource Center. The place is now closed and the couple has no word on when they'll get any assistance

"We're the low man on the totem pole. We don't know anything," she said.

Neighbors agree. Doug Waller Jr. takes it one day at a time, but he's running out of patience.

5/10/2015 Related Story: Bridge Creek Multi-Agency Resource Center Now Open

"We lost a lot of trees throughout the property and you know it's been battle trying to get the trees drug up here," Waller said.

"How long is it going to sit there? How long are we going to drive down Sand Rock Road and see that, how long are we going to drive down Sara Road and see that? It's like to me, we can go and help other people, but what about us, you know what about us?"

Other storms and floods have hit since the Bridge Creek tornado, but residents feel their small town is being swept under the rug.

“Tuttle is our address, we don't have a post office, a mayor or anything, a lot of people have moved out, I understand it'll take some time, but it doesn't take this much time for other places, and we don't have any funding,” Waller said.

Meanwhile the McDonald's are sleeping on the floor at their parent's house. Thearesa was in such haste to clean up that she fell down and broke her foot in the rubble.

"We can't wait on anybody. We're ready to move back. Sleeping on the floor is not fun. [We are] ready to come back and have our own home again," Thearesa said.

Another big concern for storm victims in Bridge Creek is looting. Many are seeing strangers casing out properties and walking away with their belongings.

FEMA set up a center at Plaza Mayor, the former Crossroads Mall, on May 30 to give case by case help to storm victims there.