Cleveland County Woman Receives New Home 1 Year After Tornado

In the spring of 2023, Elizabeth Shockey's mobile home was hit by a tornado and moved off its foundation. The damage was so bad, it had to be torn down and rebuilt.

On Thursday, a group of nonprofits gave her the keys to her new home.

"I try to always never ask for anything," Shockey said. "And the lord has blessed me."

Recovering Oklahomans After Disaster, Cargill, Mennonite Disaster Service, Oklahoma Ceiling Systems & Drywall, B&H Construction, City Serve Oklahoma, and Catholic Charities of Oklahoma all helped with the labor or materials needed to build the new home.

"It's an ongoing need," said Chad Detwiler, President of Recovering Oklahomans After Disaster. Detwiler coordinates volunteers for the coalition of Oklahoma disaster nonprofits, known as VOAD. "In many cases where we have seen the levels of devastation from the tornadoes, we'll have opportunities like this to build a new home," Detwiler said.

Detwiler projects that this year's tornadoes will create the greatest need for home repairs and rebuilds in the past 10 years. Those recovering from late April to early May storms are estimated to still be in the cleanup stage of recovery, but he said the exact needs will become more evident after the summer.

But without more volunteers, Detwiler said the amount of work can pile up.

"When everybody comes together like they did for this family, that's when you really see that true love and unity take place," he said. "And the Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, the OK VOAD, is where all of those organizations and agencies come together to discuss what the needs are, and then who has the availability to help lead that cause."

Shockey said she is blessed that VOAD organizations could help her.

"I want to share my appreciation for all that they've done and taken time for me," she said.

More information about disaster recovery efforts in Oklahoma can be found at https://okvoad.org/.