OK Governor Declares State of Emergency in 12 Counties

Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin has declared a State of Emergency for twelve counties in her state, as a result of the rash of tornadoes and other severe storms (including straight-line winds and flooding) that began last Friday, April 13th. The counties included in this declaration are (in alphabetical order): Alfalfa, Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Ellis, Harper, Jackson, Kiowa, Logan, Oklahoma, Woods and Woodward, though the declaration has been written with an allowance for other counties to be added, if need be.

Beginning Friday, and continuing through the weekend, those counties experienced damaging hail, flooding, strong straight-line winds, and tornadoes, and in the hardest-hit areas, among them the city of Woodward, damage assessments are still under way.

Under Governor Fallin’s Executive Order, state agencies may make emergency purchases or acquisitions in order to speed the delivery of resources to affected localities. As well, the declaration is the first official step in the process of requesting assistance from the Federal government, if such aid is deemed necessary.

In a statement to the press, the governor said, “My thoughts and prayers go out to those families who have lost loved ones or seen their homes destroyed. The state of Oklahoma is currently doing everything it can to provide relief to the communities in the path of last night’s storms and tornadoes. We will continue to work to provide every bit of assistance that we can in the coming days.”

Most local insurance companies are running special hotlines for people affected by the storms.