TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Thousands of homes and businesses in southeastern parts of the Oklahoma are without electricity as a winter storm began moving out of Oklahoma.
Roughly 9,000 outages were reported, mainly in Choctaw and Pushmataha counties, Friday evening as the storm that dumped sleet, ice and snow on much of the state Thursday and Friday began to diminish.
Emergency managers say the storm is responsible for claiming the lives of at least two people and for dozens of injuries and traffic accidents.
Governor Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties Thursday as the first storm moved across the state.
The declaration allows state agencies to make emergency purchases related to disaster relief and preparedness. It is also a first step toward seeking federal assistance should it be necessary.