Clean Up Begins For Some Town And Country Neighborhood Residents

Some families are back home and cleaning up after floodwater swept through their homes.

Many living along the Arkansas River in neighborhoods like Town and Country had to evacuate because of rising water. The water may mostly be gone now, but the air is still thick with the smell of rotting wood, trash, and other debris pushed through by the Arkansas River.

Cheri and Steve Pooler are looking through the mess the floodwater left behind.

"We thought it was going to be two feet deep, things floating, other than the fridge with some pictures on it," Cheri Pooler said.

Just a few months ago, the Poolers debated getting rid of flood insurance. Steve grew up in the house and had seen it flood before.

"He brought up the flood of '86 and said if it happens again I don't want to rebuild because they didn't have insurance," Pooler said.

So the poolers kept their flood insurance. Fast forward to this week. They had more than a foot of water in their home.

"You can see the water line here, that's all we got," Pooler said.

Their neighbors had the same misfortune. Alex Jones says they started moving things out of their home as the water crept closer.

"It was kind of a surreal experience, first seeing it come over 17th, and then start to see it getting closer and closer to the house," Jones said.

Now the Poolers, Jones, and others will be kept busy cleaning up. They all say they've got plenty of help.

"It was like you're on another planet, people coming in with cattle trailers and helping people load up, " Pooler said.

"It's nice to see all the people in the neighborhood banding together and helping each other," Steve Pooler said.

The Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency is looking for volunteers to help with cleanup Saturday in the neighborhood. They want you to wear boots and heavy work gloves, or they'll turn you away.