Trump declares disaster for Oklahoma tornado recovery efforts

President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for eight counties in Oklahoma. This decision comes in response to severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that took place in November 2024. The announcement was made by FEMA on Thursday. The declaration allows federal funding to be used for clearing debris and other eligible expenses related to the disaster. Many areas affected by the storms show visible damage even five months later. The counties included in the declaration are Adair, Garvin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Stephens, and Washita. Between November 2 and 5, 2024, a series of storms produced around 25 tornadoes in Oklahoma, as reported by the National Weather Service. Three of these tornadoes were classified as EF3 and hit areas near Oklahoma City. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but 19 people were injured. On November 3, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt had already declared an emergency in six of the counties impacted by the storms. He noted that at least 100 homes were damaged across the state. One key priority was to restore power to polling places ahead of the election scheduled for November 4. This announcement comes shortly after other significant wildfire events in Oklahoma. However, the federal funding is specifically aimed at addressing the damage caused by the November tornadoes.