JUNE 4, 2015
Albert Ashwood, director of the Oklahoma Department of
Emergency Management, said damage assessments are underway after storms that
crisscrossed the state in May — the wettest month on record, according to the
Oklahoma Climatological Survey.
Damage from severe storms that dropped historic levels of
rainfall and spawned tornadoes and flooding across Oklahoma could reach $200
million, the state’s emergency management director said Tuesday.
Albert Ashwood, director of the Oklahoma Department of
Emergency Management, said damage assessments are underway after storms that
crisscrossed the state in May — the wettest month on record, according to the
Oklahoma Climatological Survey.
Ashwood said the storms caused damage across a large
geographic area, slowing the work of damage assessment teams.
Gov. Mary Fallin said officials in 70 of Oklahoma’s 77
counties have documented some degree of storm-related damage.
As many as 60 counties have reported road and bridge damage,
and $13 million in infrastructure damage to roads, bridges and other public
facilities already has been documented, Fallin said.
“We’re currently in the process of analyzing and doing
assessments,” Fallin said. “And there are many counties that are still to be
assessed.”
Fallin said 828 homes and businesses were damaged or
destroyed by storms that struck the state May 5-10. At least six deaths have
been attributed to last month’s severe weather.
Federal relief
Federal disaster aid already has been approved for
individuals and business owners in Cleveland, Grady and Oklahoma counties.
Fallin has asked for similar federal aid for an additional 13 counties.
“We have a very high level of confidence that these
declarations will be approved,” Fallin said.
The governor also has asked the federal government for
public assistance for 16 counties to help local governments and rural electric
cooperatives with infrastructure repairs, debris removal and costs associated
with responding to the storms.
Ashwood said as many as 50 Oklahoma counties may eventually
seek some form of federal disaster assistance.
“We will continue to do those assessments until we get them
all done. It just takes awhile,” Ashwood said.
Deby Snodgrass, Fallin’s secretary of commerce and tourism,
said state parks were particularly hard hit by flooding during the month of May
and that all or parts of several parks are closed. Beaver’s Bend State Park in far
southeastern Oklahoma is currently without drinking water, Snodgrass said.
The statewide rainfall average for the month was 14.4
inches, 9.58 inches above normal and making May the wettest month on record for
the state, eclipsing October 1941’s tally of 10.75 inches. The records date
back to 1895.
While the entire state saw above normal rainfall, the
southern half of the state received excessive moisture with widespread amounts
of 15-25 inches, climatologists said.
A total of 23.4 inches was recorded in Norman, eclipsing the
city’s previous high monthly mark of 16.5 inches in October 1983. Oklahoma City
recorded 19.48 inches, besting June 1989’s 14.66 inches. Rainfall in Oklahoma
City last month was 14.83 inches above normal.
Source: http://newsok.com