State, Federal Teams Assess Tornado Damage

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- State and federal damage assessment teams toured areas Thursday hit by deadly tornadoes.

For so many Oklahomans the damage from this week's storms is devastating. Federal, State and Local emergency officials got a first-hand look at some of the hardest hit areas.

Steven Blair realized a tornado was headed straight for his home and he immediately took action.

"Ran from the back door to the utility room, seven seconds, seven to 10 seconds after that the roof was gone," Blair said.

Everyone made it out OK.

"I counted my kids, wife, everyone was intact," Blair said.

And as Blair tries to salvage what he can from the home he rents near Interstate 40 and Choctaw Road emergency management officials are getting a closer look at the destruction.

They'll try to determine what financial needs aren't being met and decide whether the areas hit by storms this week are eligible for a disaster declaration.

"We can't say this is going to guarantee a declaration, but we are gathering information, see what we can do," Public Information Officer Earl Armstrong said.

But FEMA has plenty of areas to inspect and they are asking everyone to be patient.

"We are trying to get to everyone as quickly as we can, and don't lose patience and don't think that we haven't seen your property," Armstrong said.

As for Blair, he's serving in the U.S. Air Force and about to pack his family up for a new assignment next month, so there's a silver lining to this storm.

"I don't have nearly as much stuff to move," Blair said.

But the belongings don't matter so much anymore.

"When you're OK everything else doesn't really matter after that," Blair said.

The assessments will help determine whether the areas qualify for federal disaster assistance.

Other areas will be assessed later.

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