Local Marine in Oklahoma: 'This Area is Forgotten'

A Columbia Marine who deployed to Iraq twice is currently in Oklahoma aiding relief efforts after tornados ravaged a region outside of Oklahoma City.

"I've never seen destruction on this scale," said Joe Gagliardi, 31, of Thunder Hill, who traveled to Tulsa the day after an F5 tornado struck Moore, OK and the surrounding area killing 24 people earlier this month.

Gagliardi was sent down by his company, the Amveps Thrift Store Family, which operates a thrift store in Tulsa to see how they could help secure clothing, food and water for residents. The company also has a Laurel location. 

At first, Gagliardi said he traveled to Moore, but after seeing the concentrated relief efforts happening in the city, which received significant publicity after the tornado, he traveled to outside communities.

"I drove into the worst hit neighborhoods to see how I could help," said Gagliardi.

He said he went to Shawnee and Bethel Acres, two communities east of Moore that were struck by a different tornado the day before the one that hit Moore.

In those areas, he said, there is almost no relief efforts aiding residents.

"This area is forgotten," said Gagliardi. "The Red Cross is not here. I've seen a FEMA trailer, but I have yet to meet a FEMA person on the ground."

"It pretty much looks like a bomb went off. The only thing I've ever seen that was remotely close was places in Iraq where bombs have gone off or there was heavy fighting," said Gagliardi. "It kind of reminds me of pictures I've seen from World War II from Hiroshima and Nagaski—it's total destruction. There's nothing left but remnants of houses, buildings, debris everywhere. A whole forest of trees is turned on its side."

He said the debris was scattered around like a layer of snow.

But he said, despite the devastation, the people are resilient.

"The people here are just amazing," said Gagliardi. "I haven't met a single person that seems angry or are pouting in any way."

He said one older couple told him, "We can rebuild our home, no problem, but we can't rebuild our lives."

Currently, Gagliardi said his efforts have included taking people to areas where insurance companies are doing paperwork, distributing all weather storage bins and tarps, and helping residents with specific requests.

For example, he said earlier this week he helped a man move kitchen appliances outside his completely destroyed home.

He recommended that people interested in aiding the residents affected go online and research local community or church groups in the Shawnee or Bethel Acres area.

"Those are the groups I can see doing the most work," said Gagliardi.

He added that if anyone has donations, they bring them to the Laurel Thrift Center at 9800 Washington Blvd. in North Laurel. That location sends tractor trailers full of donations to other locations in the midwest about once a week, according to Gagliardi.

"It's going to be a long time until these people are fully able to rebuild," said Gagliardi.