Cockroft Weekly Column

As our state mourns the loss of life and complete destruction of property from the recent tornadoes, the resilience of the Oklahoma people has shown through brightly. Large areas of my legislative district were severely affected and the recovery and relief efforts immediately began Sunday night. I spent over 27 hours straight out in my district helping the people near Stanley Draper Lake, Little Axe, McLoud, and Bethel Acres as they begin to piece their lives back together. Helping clean up broken homes, trim mangled trees, and weeping and praying with my constituents has been an honor. I could not be more proud of the individuals from and around my district who have dropped everything to help their neighbors and friends. Our emergency service personnel have worked tirelessly to assure that everyone remains safe and that order is kept. Utility workers from all area companies continue to work feverishly to restore power and essential services. Being on the ground since the storm hit, I have seen firsthand the incredible job all county and city officials have done to respond; clearing roads and trimming trees. Our churches and other community groups continue to provide meals, water, shelter, and work crews without grand thanks or high praise. It is times like these that I am able to see the greatness of our State and the heart of our people. Seeing wrecked homes and broken families is not easy, but it is in the times of tragedy we find out who we really are. After these past several days, we have come out stronger than we were before.

The hard times definitely aren’t over as in the following weeks and months the effort to clean up and try to restore the way of life for so many families will continue. Some information you might need or want to know:

-          The Oklahoma Insurance Department will have a center set up at the Shawnee Expo Center for your convenience. If you have any questions or need information about your insurance claims, they will be able to help. They will stay until all needs have been met.

-          Multiple churches across Cleveland and Pottawatomie Counties, as well as the Shawnee and Moore Red Cross are assisting in the recovery and relief efforts. Call them directly for more information on how you can help, as well as what their needs may be.

I am always available to answer any questions you may have. There are many questions that arise from a situation like this and my Capitol Assistant, Carla, and I are more than able and willing to help. My Facebook: Representative Josh Cockroft and Blog page: www.RepJoshCockroft.blogspot.com have many resources for your use as well.

It is an honor to serve you. I am proud to say I am from the Pottawatomie and Cleveland County areas and proud to work alongside you. The outpouring of love and help is overwhelming. Don’t you just love Oklahoma? I know I do.