Nearly all Oklahomans saw powerful winds on the Fourth of July this year, but the most damaging gusts hit Norman and parts of Northeastern Oklahoma.
In those areas, the wind felled trees, damaged homes and left thousands without power for several dangerously hot days. Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a disaster emergency for Cleveland and Washington counties in the days after the storms.
Last month, Stitt requested disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Cleveland, Osage, Nowata and Washington counties. Now, that assistance has been approved.
"This assistance will help our local communities repair critical infrastructure and ensure Oklahoma taxpayers aren't left shouldering the cost of these storms alone," Stitt said in a statement.
The FEMA money will cover some costs of debris cleanup and infrastructure repair for cities, counties, tribes and electric co-ops. Stitt says the total cost was more than $8 million dollars in those four counties.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
