TULSA, Okla. – Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke toured some flood damage in Oklahoma as the waters began to recede and storm-weary residents gutted waterlogged homes.
O’Rourke said Sunday that if he is elected, he will direct federal grants to invest in communities before natural disasters strike because they are expected to get worse as the global climate warms.
“I want to make sure that no matter where you live, we come to listen to you, learn from you, incorporate your story into the campaign we’re running and the service I want to provide as President of the United States,” O’Rourke said on Twitter. “We’re going to be there for everyone.”
I want to make sure that no matter where you live, we come to listen to you, learn from you, incorporate your story into the campaign we’re running and the service I want to provide as President of the United States. We’re going to be there for everyone. https://t.co/EkhRyCUZJ6
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) June 3, 2019
In the Tulsa suburb of Sand Springs, residential streets covered in silt deposited by floodwaters are lined with dumpsters full of soggy couches, carpet, drywall and insulation as the community addresses the damage.
On the ground in Sand Springs to meet with those who are not only recovering from an historic flood but who are preparing their community for the next. Our thanks to the volunteers in Oklahoma who quickly came from across the country to step up and help. pic.twitter.com/JUaypfWolg
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) June 2, 2019
Jamie Casto helped clean up her 65-year-old uncle’s house, where a rust-colored line indicated floodwaters got about 4 feet high inside.
Casto said her uncle was told the house is in a 500-year flood plain and he does not have flood insurance.
O’Rourke first stopped in Oklahoma City to meet with local leaders before touring flood-damaged communities.