SEVERE WEATHER IMPACTS STATE
May 2, 2024 – 4:30 p.m.
The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated due to impacts from recent severe weather and ongoing severe weather risk. 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.
FEMA ASSISTANCE GRANTED
Disaster assistance was approved for Hughes, Love and Murray counties. The designation delivers assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for housing repairs or temporary housing, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to repair or replace damaged property, disaster unemployment assistance, and grants for serious needs and necessary disaster expenses not met by other programs.
To apply for disaster assistance individuals and business owners in Hughes, Love, and Murray counties may call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or go online at www.disasterassistance.gov.
The state will request additional counties be added to the declaration as damage assessments are completed. Residents are asked to report damage online at damage.ok.gov to help ensure all areas of damage are included in the assessments.
INJURIES, FATALITIES, AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported four storm-related fatalities: two in Holdenville (mobile home), one on Interstate 35 near Marietta (vehicle) and one fatality in Sulphur (business).
The Oklahoma State Department of Health totaled 296 injuries reported by area hospitals.
The Chickasaw Nation has a mobile medical van parked just north of the Artesian on the elevated parking lot to provide urgent care for minor medical needs. There is no cost to receive medical care, insurance is not needed, and you don’t have to be a tribal member – anyone with a minor medical need is welcome. Hours are currently 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. but may change depending on demand.
Local health departments in the impacted areas are offering free tetanus shots for residents and volunteers participating in cleanup activities.
The Love County Health Department (LCHD) was directly affected by Saturday night’s storms and is currently closed. There is no timeline for when the building will reopen. Clients are being directed to the Carter or Marshall County Health Departments. Health Departments locations in neighboring counties are included below:
- Carter County Health Department: 405 S Washington St., Ardmore, OK 73401
- Marshall County Health Department: 310 W Lillie Blvd., Madill, OK 73446
Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) volunteers have been volunteering in Holdenville to help distribute resources, load cars and assist strike teams handing out essential supplies.
The OKMRC Stress Response Team (SRT), mental health response trained volunteers, will provide Psychological First Aid support at the Love County Expo and Murray County Expo on Friday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
OKMRC SRT will be providing mental health support to staff from the Arbuckle Hospital in person in the hospital conference room on Friday and Saturday from 2-7 p.m. On Sunday, May 5, SRT will have an open Zoom meeting where individuals can call in talk with a volunteer. Opportunity to meet with SRT members will be open to hospital staff, as well as local EMS and police.
MASS CARE
Two American Red Cross shelters are open:
- Crossway First Baptist Church, 2108 W. Broadway Ave., Sulphur
- Christ Community Church Ardmore, 2620 Mount Washington Road, Ardmore
A third American Red Cross shelter is ready, if needed, at First Baptist Church, 215 N. College Street, Cordell.
American Red Cross has been on the ground in more than a dozen counties across the state helping Oklahomans affected by severe storms and flooding. In Morris, they brought emergency supplies to help residents begin cleaning up. In Sulphur, they offered care and comfort to people whose homes were badly damaged or destroyed while attending to medical needs, working to reunify families, keeping records of prospective volunteers, and hosting state and federal officials.
Red Cross has provided more than 1,800 meals to responders and the community and will continue to do so at their shelters and through mobile feeding in Carter, Love, Murray and Washita counties.
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 responder and community feeding in Carter, Love, and Murray counties. Each service will run until no longer needed. Emotional and spiritual care workers are also available.
Operation BBQ Relief has been serving meals in Sulphur since Sunday at the Walmart Supercenter, 2705 W. Broadway Ave., and through mobile distribution in the community. Demand had slowed as of Thursday and dinner was the last service time. Excess meals were supplied to strategic partners in other areas of disaster relief.
Oklahoma Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has 10 chainsaw teams deployed (four in Morris and six in Sulphur) and is providing mass feeding for the Salvation Army and Red Cross in Sulphur, serving an average of 500 meals per sitting and will continue as long as needed. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)-trained chaplains are also available for affected residents and first responders.
Team Rubicon today deployed Greyshirt volunteers in Sulphur to assist the community with muck outs to clear debris, roof tarping, and chainsaw operations to cut down damaged trees. Residents can send requests for assistance to rfa@teamrubiconusa.org.
Also helping with clean-up in Sulphur, Morris and Holdenville are: Minuteman Disaster Response, Samaritan’s Purse, Hope Force, Crossings Community Church, Christian Aid Ministries and NECHAMA Jewish Response to Disaster.
Crisis Clean-Up has a hotline by which any affected resident may request clean-up help: 580-440-0126.
Lowe’s managers and associates have spent several days in Sulphur, traveling door-to-door to deliver tornado totes packed with clean-up supplies. They also donated water, tools and gloves.
Convoy of Hope is delivering several loads of essential supplies — including food, water, sports drinks, rakes, totes, tarps, hygiene kits, and more — to Sulphur, Holdenville, and Ardmore.
Big Five Community Services is offering its Love County transit service free of charge on all medical, pharmacy, chemo. treatments, kidney dialysis, doctor appointments, etc., along with any trips needed by citizens to get to and from employment. They are also offering free round-trips to Ardmore for groceries Monday - Friday, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., and will continue to do so until not needed as Marietta's only grocery store was destroyed. Their food bank in Marietta also continues to serve residents.
HOW TO HELP
Volunteers who wish to help with clean-up in Sulphur can check in at the Murray County Expo Center at 730 Cambridge Drive in Sulphur.
For those wishing to donate, cash is best. Financial contributions are the fastest, most flexible and most effective method of donating to support recognized disaster relief organizations on the ground. Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster has a list available of member organizations and donation guidance at https://okvoad.org/donate-2/. Many VOAD members have restricted funds for their storm response.
BancFirst locations statewide are accepting donations for the Sulphur community. Funds are administered by Crossway Church of Sulphur. Donate online at bancfirst.bank/sulphur or in person at any BancFirst location.
For a list of all statewide BancFirst locations, visit bancfirst.bank/locations
ROAD CLOSURES
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports the following highways, interstates, or turnpikes are impacted by recent storms or flooding:
CHEROKEE COUNTY
- SH-80 is closed approximately 3 miles west of Hulbert due to high water.
COTTON COUNTY
- SH 5B between US-70 and SH-5A is closed due to high water at Deep Red Creek. Use US-277, I-44 or SH-65 as alternate routes.
MURRAY COUNTY
- SH-7 is now open between Woodruff Rd. and US-177 in Sulphur.
- US-177 is now open between Lawton Ave. and Denney Rd. in Sulphur.
- Please use caution in the area as storm clean-up continues. Drivers are urged to avoid the area. For drivers who cannot avoid the area, a local detour is in place.
OTTAWA COUNTY
- SH-125 is closed at the Neosho River near Miami due to high water.
TURN AROUND - DON’T DROWN
During flooding conditions, motorists are reminded:
- Don't drive around barricades if a roadway is closed.
- If you see high water, turn around and do NOT enter.
To check current road conditions in Oklahoma, call the Road Conditions Hotline at 844-4OK-HWYS (844-465-4997) or go to www.okroads.org.
STATE SUPPORT
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) staff continues to coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and local emergency management on preliminary damage assessments in numerous impacted counties.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission provided Transportation Enforcement officers to assist in emergency response in Love County, including traffic control, blockades and assisting electric companies with access to affected areas. Motor Carrier Enforcement Officers from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Love County Port of Entry worked within Marietta to control access control to the Emergency Operation Center, patrolled and secured damaged buildings, and provided traffic control for utility workers.
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality reports they are working with municipalities and counties to register sites for their storm debris. Visit their website for more information on cleanup for residents and local jurisdictions: https://www.deq.ok.gov/external-affairs-division/for-media/severe-weather-flooding-information/
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol continues to help with traffic control in and around damage sites in numerous locations.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews have been assisting with clean-up efforts in Sulphur, Marietta, and Holdenville.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) is available to help residents with issues they may have with their insurance claims. Call the Oklahoma Insurance Department Consumer Assistance Division at 800-522-0071. You can also find more information about preparing for storms and reviewing your insurance coverage at oid.ok.gov/get-ready.
PRICE GOUGING STATUTE IN EFFECT
The state’s price gouging statute is 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.
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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