President Trump declares disaster after October ice storm

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump officially declared a federal disaster on Monday for 13 Oklahoma counties battered by a late October ice storm.

The declaration means federal funding will now be available to state, tribal and local governments and some private nonprofits for storm-related costs, the White House said in a press release. The 13 counties are Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Dewey, Grady, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pottawatomie and Roger Mills. Gov. Kevin Stitt said damage estimates for those 13 counties resulted in an estimated $27 million in debris removal and other costs.

Stitt says the state is also working to have an additional 16 counties added to the declaration. As many as 500,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses lost power when the storm iced over trees that crashed through powerlines and blocked roadways.