18-05-2025
Light of Hope, Eastern Hills to commemorate first anniversary of May tornado
After a tornado ravaged Claremore last May, Eastern Hills Baptist Church became a gathering place of sorts.
The church, which sits on a hill overlooking 4200 Road east of Claremore, sustained little damage compared to the ruined homes that surrounded it. Melissa Fullerton, the church's administrative assistant, said she had full faith God had planned to use Eastern Hills to help the community recover.
For the next six weeks, people dealing with the tornado's aftermath would flock there for food, supplies and something to do besides ruminating on what they'd lost.
One year later, the church will soon host "Hope after the Storm." It will run from 5 to 8 p.m. June 16 at the church, 16912 E. 480 Road in Claremore. Pastor Brad Taylor said the free event is an opportunity for people to rekindle the camaraderie they'd found in the wake of the storm.
"We're at the anniversary of the storm, so there's anxiety because we're in another storm season," Taylor said. "... We can't fixate on the storm ... if another storm comes, it's OK because we can put back the pieces. God has put around us great resources of life and friends and family and neighbors that will help guide us."
The church will offer food and raffle prizes, and News on 6 meteorologist Travis Meyer will give a presentation reflecting on the tornado.
Eastern Hills is hosting the event jointly with Light of Hope. Nancy Phelps, the nonprofit's executive director, said the two formed a partnership "from about the first minute and a half after everything happened."
Phelps said many other tornado recovery partners will come to the event to host breakout sessions and information booths, such as Claremore/Rogers County Disaster Assistance and Rogers County Emergency Management.
"It's kind of like a reunion," Phelps said. "All the ones that started, and now everybody's coming back together."
Phelps said the storm placed a burden on many people's mental health. She said mental health professionals and Sara Wallace, a Claremore yoga instructor, would come to the event to provide strategies for weathering the metaphorical storms disasters can whip up.
Taylor said a tornado survivor had told him they were unsure if they could go to the event. He said they told him it would dig up painful memories they had deliberately stowed away.
"The reality is, that's the person [who] needs to come because items undealt with is what brings about other issues in life," Taylor said. "This is an opportunity to face that fear, realize there is hope."
