Sequoyah County Cleanup Underway Following Storm Damage

Cleanup is underway after severe storms moved through Sequoyah County, leaving behind damage and power outages. There was a lot of damage all over the county, including near the Blackgum area, where many are still without power.

There was everything from trees split in half to trees that were uprooted entirely. Businesses and homes also felt the impact of the strong winds.

The McQuick's convenience store off North 82 and Highway 100 north of Vian had its roof peeled back, leaving the business without power and employees cleaning up the flooding from the rain.

One employee, Carol Steward, said the store is still open even if it can't pump gas without the electricity. She said this is because she knows people need help, especially after many people came to help clean up the store.

“We've had other businesses and neighbors coming. They are bringing generators, and they brought fans to dry the floors,” said Steward. “I've had a young girl come in and help me mop for three or four hours, and she didn't have to so it's been awesome. It's everybody pulling together and helping each other out.”

The loss of power is the biggest issue in Sequoyah County. Hundreds of people were without power after the storm rolled through, and getting people out of the heat is a big priority for Sequoyah County Emergency Management Director Brad Taylor.

Emergency management is setting up cooling centers at the Gore Community Center and Christ the King Church in Vian. Taylor said he hopes to move cooling centers closer to the Blackgum area once more power is restored.

“We will take it day by day, and we are going to make efforts into making the cooling stations closer to Blackgum,” Taylor said.

The cooling center in Gore is expected to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., while the cooling center in Vian doesn't have a set time to open tomorrow right now. We will provide an update as soon as possible.