Centre region residents watched with horror as a deadly tornado pulverized parts of the Oklahoma City metro area. Today, Oklahoma’s governor says more than 50 people were killed and dozens more were hurt. Five counties in Oklahoma have been declared federal disaster areas.
Relief efforts are now underway all across the country.
The Centre Communities Chapter of the Red Cross, based in downtown State College, is among the agencies making plans to help people affected by the natural disaster.
“We’re getting our volunteers lined up so they can get ready to deploy,” said Romayne Naylor, a Red Cross response specialist for the central Pennsylvania region. “We’re in the process of going through our list of trained volunteers to get them organized.”
Naylor said that the national Red Cross has already moved its management team into Oklahoma and will be coordinating with the local chapters to assess their needs. She emphasized that volunteers must be trained before helping out with a disaster of this magnitude.
“Local people always want to help but they must go through a Red Cross natural disaster training program before they can be deployed to a disaster scene,” said Naylor. “The best way to help out is with financial contributions if you haven’t gone through training.”
As of this afternoon, five residents in the Centre County region are lined up to pitch in with the relief in Oklahoma. Bonnie Dyke, from Zion, is one local Red Cross volunteer who expects to be deployed to Oklahoma in the coming days.
“I’m a retired nurse so I’m expecting to go down mid-next week” said Dyke. “There’s no other way to help than by sending in caring, trained people.”
Dyke has significant experience with Red Cross disaster initiatives, having been deployed to help out with the relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy and the deadly hurricane in Tuscaloosa, Alabama earlier this year.
“All you need to do is see the look on someone’s face one time and you’re hooked,” said Dyke. “It’s very fulfilling work.”
Some Penn State alumni are already on the scene in Oklahoma City helping out with the immediate emergency response. According to Suhani Lageman, the president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association and a 2008 graduate, around 100 Penn Staters call Oklahoma home.
“Everyone from Penn State is fine from what I understand,” said Lageman, who lives north of the storm area. “It’s a little bit chaotic right now more than anything.”
Lageman said that Penn State alumna, Christie Kilgore, is already on the scene and has been helping out in the disaster area all day. Jeff Peters, the Vice President of the Oklahoma chapter, is a meteorologist and has been reporting on the incident over the last two days.
“There’s a couple of us that are going to head down tomorrow to help with the relief effort,” said Lagemen. “We’re still trying to figure out what needs to be done.”
The Red Cross says that more than anything, the organization needs financial contributions, much more than human capital or household goods.
“A whole lot of furniture and a whole lot of food and a whole lot of household goods are not what they need right now,” said Naylor. “There’s just nowhere to put those things right now.”
People can donate to the Red Cross disaster relief fund by clicking HERE, or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
