At least four people were killed, including a 4-month-old baby, and many injured in Oklahoma after dozens of tornadoes swept through the southern plains of the United States over the past two weekends. Sunday’s weather warning caused more than 7 million Americans to evacuate.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on April 28 declared a state of disaster emergency for the state, providing money for response and recovery activities.
“Certainly this is the heaviest damage since I have been Governor,” Mr. Stitt said in Sulphur, one of the most heavily affected communities, on the afternoon of April 28 during a press conference providing updated information. Update on the number of deaths and damages. Mr. Stitt began his first term as Governor in 2019.
In a call with the Governor of Oklahoma, President Joe Biden asked the Federal Government for full support to help recovery efforts, the White House said.
The White House said President Biden has declared a major disaster due to severe winter storms inundating Washington state and Kansas. The president also ordered federal assistance to supplement recovery efforts in areas affected by winter storms.
Storm warnings for high winds, heavy rain and hail were also issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Sunday for more than 47 million people stretching from East Texas north through Illinois and Wisconsin.
The NWS reported 38 possible tornadoes in the area, and the worst of the storms swept through Central Oklahoma on Saturday into early Sunday morning (April 27-28), spreading into Northwest Texas, Western Missouri and Kansas.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said area hospitals reported 100 injuries. The tornadoes destroyed or damaged dozens of structures, including a hospital in the town of Marietta, although no injuries were reported there.
