More Tornadoes Strike Oklahoma
After deadly tornadoes ravaged the region over the weekend, Oklahoma found itself under the threat of twisters again on Tuesday evening.
There was damage from tornadoes in western Oklahoma. The community of Cordell took damage to roofs, trees and power poles.
Later in the evening around 10:30 p.m. a very large tornado was confirmed near Hollister. The storm had radar estimated wind speeds of up to 200 mph and a large debris signature. The full extent of any damage will become clearer once the sun rises.
So far, no injuries have been reported from the storms Tuesday evening.
More severe weather is in the forecast for the region today.
Tornado Damage Estimates In Sulphur
As cleanup of Sulphur’s deadly tornado continues, FEMA officials traveled to the city to assess damage and offer help for those affected.
At the Artesian Hotel, FEMA officials met with Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Sen. James Lankford to hear their concerns and offer a roadmap for rebuilding.
National Tribal Affairs Advocate of FEMA and Choctaw citizen, Kelbie Kennedy, was among those at the table with Governor Anoatubby. She says FEMA aims to work with tribes directly to support their governments and, in turn, their citizens.
"So the biggest thing I would say is tribal nations have been doing emergency management well before there was a term for emergency management. And so the Chickasaw Nation is no different," said Kennedy. "They have a wonderful team who has been out in the local communities coordinating with the counties, coordinating with the local governments in order to help protect lives."
If you need assistance in Sulphur, head to Crossway Church for help.
Biden Approves Oklahoma Disaster Declaration
President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster exists in Oklahoma, making federal aid available after severe storms hit over the weekend.
Assistance includes grants for temporary housing and repairs, loans for property loss and support for debris removal.
Damage assessments continue, with FEMA officials touring affected areas.
State leaders urge Oklahomans to report storm damage at damage.ok.gov so the state can get an accurate estimate of federal funds needed.
Stitt Signs Immigration Bill
Oklahoma joins a handful of states aiming to change the status quo of American immigration enforcement.
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signing of House Bill 4156 comes one week after the legislature sent it to his desk. The bill criminalizes anyone in the state without legal immigration status.
In a press release, Stitt says he is "disappointed the measure is necessary,” but wants Latinos in Oklahoma to rest assured they won’t be profiled by law enforcement. He says it won’t be tolerated.
Stitt says he wants to find a way for immigrants willing and able to work to get state-level permission.
He announced the Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force, a team dedicated to bringing federal-style work visas to the state.
Oklahoma is now among a handful of states that have taken matters of border security into their own hands.
The measure takes effect July 1.
USPS Faces Opposition as Tulsa Mail Processing Functions Shift to Oklahoma City
After months of public feedback, the United States Postal Service is moving some of Tulsa’s mail processing center functions to Oklahoma City.
The center’s outgoing mail processing will be moved to a corresponding facility in OKC as part of a plan to convert Tulsa’s USPS Processing and Distribution Center to a Local Processing Center.
While USPS officials say this and other planned changes will improve delivery times, federal, city, county and tribal officials in Oklahoma opposed the move.
At an April 15 hearing in Washington, Sen. James Lankford questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over consolidation efforts in places like Atlanta and Richmond, Virginia that have caused delivery delays.
“I know you’ve said over and over, ‘Give it some time, the service will get better on it.’ What do you anticipate on it?," Lankford asked. “We have opened up other RPDCs, and they have not been as consequential. I expect these operations to be stabilized going into the summer," said Dejoy.
Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith says she’s concerned the move could impact economic development in the region.
In a news release, USPS says moving functions is part of its plan to modernize the Tulsa center to the tune of $22.5 million.
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