At least four people were killed, including a four-month-old baby, and dozens were injured in Oklahoma this weekend after dozens of tornadoes swept across the US Southern Plains, while weather warnings on Sunday put more than 7 million Americans under alert. tornado warnings.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Sunday declared a disaster emergency for the state, freeing up more money for first responders and recovery operations.
“Definitely the most damage since I’ve been governor,” Stitt said in Sulphur, one of the hardest-hit communities, on Sunday afternoon as he provided an update on deaths and damage. Stitt began his first term as governor in 2019.
In a call with Oklahoma's governor, President Joe Biden offered the federal government's full support to help with recovery efforts, the White House said in a statement Sunday.
Biden also declared a major disaster on Sunday due to the severe winter storms that flooded the state of Washington and Kansas.
The president ordered federal assistance to supplement recovery efforts in areas affected by the 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 eastern Texas north through Illinois and Wisconsin.
The NWS reported that 38 possible tornadoes touched down in the area and that the worst of the storms hit central Oklahoma Saturday through Sunday morning, spreading into northwest Texas, western Missouri and Kansas.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said area hospitals reported 100 injuries. Twisters destroyed or damaged dozens of structures, including the hospital in the city of Marietta, although no injuries were reported.
More than 20,000 customers in the state remained without power as of Sunday night, officials said, as emergency personnel worked to clear roads and repair power lines.
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(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Maria Caspani in New York; additional reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru)
Source: CNN Brasil
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