'We're Just Returning The Favor:' Oklahomans Help Storm Victims Of Hurricane Helene, Prepare To Help With Milton

Oklahomans are helping clean up after Hurricane Helene, but they’re ready to help people after Hurricane Milton makes landfall.

Emergency crews are in Florida ready to go for when Hurricane Milton hits land either Wednesday or Thursday.

This is the second major hurricane in just two weeks in the Southeast, and Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief teams are in North Carolina and Georgia right now cleaning up the devastating damage from Hurricane Helene.

"There's some businesses that are just gone,” said Jason Yarbrough with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief. “And homes that floated away, those types of different things that they've experienced. Folks are definitely hurting, definitely looking for some beam of hope."

Florida is expected to see the same type of damage or worse, and emergency crews from all over the country are getting ready to move to help victims there.

"Living probably out of our vehicles, possibly out of a building that hopefully can withstand hurricane winds and rain,” said Mike Dunham with Mayes County Emergency Management. “We're a bunch of tough guys, and we'll make do."

Dunham says the Florida crews helped Oklahoma during our tornadoes, so it’s an easy choice to help them.

"We needed the help,” said Dunham. “So Florida said, ‘Hey we got you.’ They come up here, they helped us. For us, we're just returning the favor. They come up and help us out in a bad time, we're coming out here, helping them in a bad time."

Dunham says the crews appreciate the prayers and support and hope people will continue to support these storm victims.

"Look locally if you need to, if you need to look big, Red Cross, Southern Baptists, those are all people that can reach out and help and that's the big thing,” said Dunham. “If everyone would check on our wives too, because we all just packed up really quick and left because this is a storm that wasn't supposed to get as much gusto."

HERE is a list of places where you can donate to hurricane victims.