Forgotten Onalaska areas getting help after deadly tornado

ONALASKA, Texas (KTRK) -- An Onalaska pastor has made a promise to rebuild his community after a deadly tornado ripped through the small city in Polk County last week.

Allen Bramlett of Onalaska First Baptist Church has been organizing groups to help those in areas that may not have received immediate assistance since the tornado hit.

READ MORE: EF-3 tornado damage found after 3 killed in Polk Co., weather service says

"One of the interesting things is the way that Onalaska is zoned - some of these subdivisions that are technically a part of the Onalaska community and are in Onalaska, because of zoning. They're not always counted as part of the city and they're sometimes not counted as part of the county," explained Bramlett.

Bramlett has worked with several Christian organizations in the area, such as The Samaritans Purse, Texas Baptist Men and Southern Baptist of Texas Disaster Relief.

"People who are asking, 'How can you help?' We need volunteers," said Bramlett. "We have incredible organizations that have relatively easy ways to get involved. [It takes a] 30-minute orientation, and you can get out on a team and be serving."

William Anthony, an Onalaska resident, has been working with the group and wants to make sure homes are rebuilt as quickly as possible.

READ MORE: Onalaska couple killed when large tornado rips through home

"My mind has been going 90 miles an hour, trying get things done," said Anthony. "Each day, you look out and it's something totally different. You see a little improvement!"

Bramlett simply wants to uplift his community but also supply them with basic necessities, such as food and water, in order to get back to normal.

"We are making sure that we have our people working in Onalaska to be able to help one another in the long run," said Bramlett. "This isn't something that's going to be taken care of or fixed in a couple of weeks."

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