SEVERE WEATHER IMPACTS STATE
April 29, 2024 – 2 p.m.
The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated due to impacts from recent severe weather. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) remains in contact with emergency managers across the state and is coordinating with agencies and organizations including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Oklahoma Insurance Department, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, National Weather Service, Oklahoma American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
A State of Emergency is in effect for Carter, Cotton, Garfield, Hughes, Kay, Lincoln, Love, Murray, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Payne, and Pontotoc counties this morning due to severe storms, tornadoes, straight line winds, hail, and flooding that began on April 27. The Executive Order also extends the temporary suspension of size and weight limits for oversized vehicles and equipment responding from out of state to assist with power restoration efforts.
FATALITIES
The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed four storm-related fatalities:
2 fatalities in Holdenville
1 fatality on Interstate 35 near Marietta
1 fatality in Sulphur
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, 100 injuries have been reported by area hospitals:
25 Cut/Pierce
30 Falls
16 Struck by or Against
17 Transportation Related
12 Other
STATE SUPPORT
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management has coordinated numerous resource requests for search and rescue teams, operations support teams, and mass care.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol assisted with search and rescue, traffic control in numerous locations. Oklahoma Department of Transportation assisted with road closures and debris removal off roadways. Oklahoma Corporation Commission provided support for utility outages.
Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) is available to help residents with issues they may have with their insurance claims. Contact OID at 800-522-0071 or visit their website at http://www.oid.ok.gov/after.
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality staff members in the field checking on water/wastewater systems.
MASS CARE
Two American Red Cross shelters remain open:
Crossway First Baptist Church, 2108 W. Broadway Ave., Sulphur
Christ Community Church Ardmore, 2620 Mount Washington Road, Ardmore
Oklahoma Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has chainsaw teams in Sulphur and Morris and a mass feeding kitchen in Sulphur to provide meals. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)-trained chaplains are also available for affected residents and first responders.
Mercy Chefs is providing hot meals for impacted residents at Crossway First Baptist Church, 2108 W. Broadway Ave in Sulphur.
The Salvation Army is providing first responders meals in Love and Murray counties. Each service will run until no longer needed. Emotional and spiritual care workers are also available.
Volunteers who wish to help with cleanup in Sulphur can check in at the Murray County Expo Center at 730 Cambridge Drive in Sulphur.
STORM REPORTS
Additional storms occurred Sunday night resulting in the following reported damages:
Okmulgee County Emergency Management reports Morris Public Schools facilities were damaged in storms Sunday night.
LeFlore County Emergency Management reports downed trees with trees across roadways and vehicles west of Hodgen. An awning was pulled off of a building downtown.
Pittsburg County Emergency Management reports tree limbs down south of Crowder.
Damage assessments are ongoing.
POWER OUTAGES
Approximately 6,800 outages are reported statewide. Areas with the highest number of damages are Carter, Love, Johnston, Murray, and Hughes counties.
ROAD CLOSURES
Oklahoma Department of Transportation report the following highways, interstates, or turnpikes are impacted by recent storms or flooding.
Cherokee County
- All lanes of east and westbound SH-80 are closed west of Hulbert due to high water
Hughes County
- All lanes of north and southbound SH-48 are closed between SH-9E and US-270, near Holdenville, due to severe weather clean-up.
Murray County
- All lanes of east and westbound SH-7 are closed between Woodruff Rd. and US-177 in Sulphur due to severe weather clean-up.
- All lanes of north and southbound US-177 are closed between Lawton Ave. and Denney Rd. in Sulphur due to severe weather clean-up
Pittsburg County
- All lanes of east and westbound SH-31 are closed between Friendship Rd. and Haywood Rd. due to high water
- All lanes of east and westbound SH-63 are closed between Crawley Rd. and Hopper Rd. due to high water
Pittsburg County Emergency Management reports the following roads are closed or should be avoided due to high water or flooding conditions:
- U.S. 69 Business between Oklahoma 113 and McAlester city limits
- U.S. 270 (Indian Nation Turnpike)
Johnston County Emergency Management reports the following additional roads are closed:
- Egypt Road and Sandy Creek Road are closed at their respective bridges.
- Greasy Bend and Rock Road from the Highway to Bellwood are closed.
- Tishomingo: Flooded streets near or around Pennington Park are closed: Ray Branum Rd; W 12th St at S Kemp St; W Hamilton St; S Mickle St; and Parkway Rd.
PRICE GOUGING STATUTE IN EFFECT
The state’s price gouging statute is now in effect. The Emergency Price Stabilization Act prohibits an increase of more than 10% for the price of goods and services after a declared emergency. The statute triggers automatically after the governor issues a state of emergency. The law allows the attorney general to pursue charges against individuals or businesses that engage in price gouging. For more information or to report a complaint, individuals can contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit toll free at 833-681-1895.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told residents to beware contractors who go door-to-door, demand upfront payment and use aggressive sales tactics. Agents from the OAG’s office will be visiting communities with storm damage to help prevent contractor fraud, and residents may report fraud to 1-833-681-1895 or consumerprotection@oag.ok.gov.
RESIDENTS ASKED TO REPORT DAMAGE
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is asking residents impacted by the storms to report damages to their property at damage.ok.gov. Reporting damage helps local and state emergency managers better coordinate response and recovery efforts. Residents can report damage to homes, businesses or agriculture through the online survey.
DIAL 211
For Oklahoma residents seeking non-emergency disaster or health and human service information, please contact your local 2-1-1. Services are available 24 hours a day by dialing 2-1-1 from your home or cellular telephone. Please only call 911 for emergencies.
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