SULPHUR, Okla. ( KFOR ) – An Oklahoma couple is now rallying around their best friend, Elaine Guilloz, who was in the direct path of the Sulphur tornado.
“It is tragic,” said TJ Anderson, who’s been friends with Guilloz for more than a decade. “You know, it was a wicked tornado.”
SEVERE WEATHER: Tornado destroys Sulphur’s historic downtown Anderson said he and his wife Jamie didn’t hear from Guilloz after the tornado ripped through Sulphur on Saturday.
“I knew there was something wrong,” said Anderson.
The couple rushed to Murray County Sunday morning only to find out from neighbors that Guilloz was in the hospital.
Turns out, she and her roommate Barbara McFarlane were heading to their safe place, on the lowest level of a nearby parking garage, when they were caught in the storm.
“Both women are deaf,” said Anderson. “It was very hard for them to hear, you know, proper communications with what was going on.”
With Guilloz’s permission, Anderson sent us a video of her in the hospital recapping what happened.
“It was a nightmare for sure,” said Guilloz. “The tornado showed up at my front door. I was not expecting it and there it was. I was going to make a split second dash to go back to my house but it sucked me back down on the ground, threw me on the floor.”
A steel beam then fell on her foot, slicing part of it off. She was wearing a pair of crocs at the time.
“I looked down and there it was, my foot was dangling,” said Guilloz. “The first thing I did was hurry up and grab a towel and holler for help and I finally got help.”
SEVERE WEATHER: Local business in Sulphur left picking up the pieces of devastating tornado Her foot was amputated Wednesday. She also has two broken legs.
“My survival mode kicked in, and my strength knew I could pull through,” said Guilloz.
Her roommate, McFarlane, suffered bruises and scratches. The home they were renting is now destroyed and they need to find a new place to live.
“It’s an awful thing to happen to this person who is so sweet,” said Anderson. “She’s still in good spirits despite that wicked tornado that, you know, tragically affected them and everyone else in Sulphur.”
Anderson said he expects Guilloz to have a long recovery process.
A link to the Go Fund Me page to help the two women find a new home is here .
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