TBM chainsaw teams serve in Oklahoma

Posted: 1/19/07

TBM chainsaw teams serve in Oklahoma

By Barbara Bedrick

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—Four Texas Baptist Men chainsaw teams headed to McAlester, Okla., to help residents hit hard by ice storms.

About three dozen volunteers from Harmony-Pittsburg Baptist Association, Collin Baptist Association, Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall and Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo made the trek to Oklahoma.

“Priorities for our volunteer teams will be first to remove trees that have fallen on homes and caused structural damage to them,” said Gary Smith, TBM disaster relief director.

“Then, crews will move trees from roads and driveways so that residents can travel where they need go.”

In McAlester, many residents sought overnight shelter at First Baptist Church. Most of the city’s 18,000 residents lacked power for at least four days.

At least 10 people have died from traffic accidents and hypothermia in Oklahoma since the winter storm began.

About 92,000 people in Oklahoma still had no electricity Jan. 17.

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