MORRIS, Okla. — Each tornado survivor's account is unique, especially when two tornadoes rip through your hometown.
Chris Summers, like most in Morris over the weekend, huddled his family into a storm cellar when parts of their roof were blown away. Their houses and new fence line were also ruined.
"I had a little bit of pride in it and it just got destroyed. That's probably the worst part," Summers said.
When 2 News spoke with Pastor Kendell Hamilton April 28 he was taking the damage as well as anyone can be after a tornado caused a tree to fall into their house. On April 30, he showed the extent of the damage on the inside.
"This will all be gutted and (they'll) put new trusses in," Hamilton said of the restoration work anticipated. "This wall is gonna have to be taken out and rebuilt. So basically they're going to demolish these two rooms and start over."
The 40-year-old tree was finally dislodged from the roof on April 27.
For the next three months at least, a blue tarp will have to protect Hamilton's home while restoration gets underway. The experienced pastor admits that the emotions finally settled in for him the next morning.
"Especially if (someone is) a pastor or a chaplain, you feel guilty because, yes, they have damage, but there's people worse off; I ought to be helping them. And that's kind of what I was going through yesterday," Hamilton said. "You think, 'Well I know what to do.' No, you don't because it's overwhelming. You go from shock that it happened, to grief."
Hamilton has since also got help from his kids. Nathan, a fellow pastor, drove to Morris from San Antonio to help his dad and neighbors.
They said faith would now be the best tool in the state's recovery from the recent tornadoes.
"That hope is going to last forever," Nathan Hamilton said. "We are going to live forever, and that's a hope in the times of tragedy like this."
"God's taking care of it. It is a matter of trusting him and letting him work," the elder Hamilton added.
Okmulgee County Emergency Management Agency still encourages residents with damaged property to report details.
Donate to tornado victims here.
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