SULPHUR, Okla. — When staff at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf stepped on campus the morning after the storms, they saw their buildings still standing and thought they had been spared from any damage.
That was — until they went inside.
The rainfall had the biggest impact on OSD. At some point during the storms, the school lost power, so the sump pump stopped working, leading to water overflowing everywhere.
Superintendent Heather Laine said there was just too much damage from the water, and they made the difficult decision to close the school for the remainder of the year.
“It’s really hitting our teachers today,” said Laine. “They’ve gone into the classrooms for the first time, and they’re really shocked to see some of the damage. It’s impossible to have our students back on campus for in-person teaching or even staying in the dorms at this time.”
Rain from the drains and gutters filled the ceiling tiles, causing them to crumble out of place. The damage is visible from the front entrance, from ruined carpets to soaked furniture and books.
Although there were 11 days left of this school year, Dr. Laine said this decision was heart wrenching for her.
“This is their home,” she said. “This where they thrive, this is where communication is accessible, they are able to have language acquisition here and we want to make sure to check in with our students regularly through virtual learning via Zoom and we want to make sure that they are all okay.”
Students, as well as faculty and staff, were asked to pack up their belongings and leave campus Monday. They hope to be able to restore the buildings so they can reopen come August.
Dr. Laine told 2 News that many in the OSD community were devastated by the storms. We met a security guard who has walked the night shift security on campus for 22 years, and barely made it out alive.
Nathan Flystra and his wife, who are both deaf, were visiting their son in Ada when the storms made their way into the southern part of the state. On their way home, they pulled off the road because the rain was interfering with visibility.
At this point, Flystra recalled feeling a vibration.
“I felt something hit the car, and a tree fell on the car,” he said. “It fell on the roof, but it missed all three passengers.”
Even with the tree on top of the car, Flystra felt the wind pulling the car up. Without the tree holding them in place, he said knows the evening would have ended differently for all of them.
“The tree just stays on our minds, that that tree falling on the car, that we are alive because of that tree,” said Flystra. “If there wasn’t a tree hat fell and pinned the vehicle, that we could be gone.”
Flystra’s son, who is hearing, was able to call 911 and get them the help they needed. They were rescued and stayed with law enforcement until the storms passed.
The trio thought their worst hit had been the car, but when they returned home the next morning, they were horrified by how little was left of their home.
Their roof was torn clean off, and the front of their house was missing entirely. Flystra said their place of peace and comfort is now more resemblant to a war zone.
“I don’t even feel like I ever lived there,” said Flystra. “Just looking at it’s like… you know, 23 years, we have wonderful memories of being here, but now it’s like this is not me anymore.”
With the language barrier, Flystra said he and his wife have had a hard time getting through the storms and now finding a way forward through the devastation.
As a deaf individual, he said he believes there should be more resources available to guide them. Although they suffered so much loss, it was all replaceable.
Flystra focuses on his faith and the fact that his family is in one piece, even if everything else is not.
“We got pinned in by that tree, that God has spared our lives and he has a purpose,” he said. “He’s not through with us, so that’s something to reflect on, that there’s still more for us to do.”
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