Stitt requests federal disaster declaration

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is requesting a federal major disaster declaration from last month’s ice storm that caused an estimated $27 million in damages in 13 central Oklahoma counties.

Stitt made the request on Friday for 13 counties, but says additional counties could be added in coming weeks. If approved, federal funding would reimburse local cities, counties, tribes, and rural electric cooperatives for some storm-related costs.

As many as 500,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses lost power when the late October storm iced over trees that crashed through powerlines and blocked roadways.