'Pure Devastation' House Speaker Charles McCall Reflects On Tornado Damage In Sulphur

A community was left in ruins after tornados ripped through the state over the weekend.

Officials confirm one person was killed and dozens more are hurt in one of the hardest hit areas, Sulphur.

House Speaker Charles McCall, who oversees District 22, which includes Sulphur, visited the town on Sunday and spoke with News 9 about the damage in the community.

McCall said it was surreal to walk around the town, which once had landmarks standing for decades, and see the destruction in person.

"The gravity of the situation, the pictures don't really do it justice," McCall said. "Pure rubble, streetlights pulled out of the ground, including the concrete that anchored them in the ground, things snapped, it is just pure devastation."

He said most of the town is beyond repair, but the people and first responders of Murray County and House District 22 have stepped up.

"Oklahomans, they're very tough and resilient people; I was very impressed," McCall said. "They were there working search and rescue, clearing debris and I'm very thankful."

McCall said there has been a tremendous outpouring of support from several resources, including local churches and companies like Walmart and Amazon.

"The largest church in Sulphur has opened up their facilities for families who have lost their homes and lost everything; companies like Walmart and Amazon that reached out to me personally yesterday and said 'What can we do?' and so I think they're sending gift cards so people can order things and it can be shipped directly to them," McCall.

He said that restoration will take some time, but families will be able to put their lives back together eventually.

He also shared his condolences to those who lost their lives in the damage.

"We will rebuild like all Oklahomans we will move forward, but the one thing we can't replace is life," McCall said.