Trump approves major disaster declaration for Oklahoma’s November 2024 tornado outbreak

President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for eight Oklahoma counties affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in November 2024, FEMA announced Thursday.

The declaration allows the federal government to provide FEMA funding to cities, counties, and other public entities for debris removal or other eligible costs associated with responding to the weather event. Damage in some of the affected areas near the Oklahoma City metro is still visible five months later.

The areas included in the declaration are Adair, Garvin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Stephens and Washita counties.

The disaster declaration covers damage wrought by a series of storms that hit Oklahoma Nov. 2-5, 2024. During that weekend, roughly 25 tornadoes were recorded by the National Weather Service, 14 of which occurred overnight between Nov. 2-3, followed by another outbreak of 10 tornadoes on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The most severe of these were three EF3-rated tornadoes near the OKC-metro area in Cleveland, Lincoln and Oklahoma counties. There were no fatalities, but 19 injuries were recorded by the NWS.

On Nov. 3, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt declared an emergency in six counties impacted by the storms, noting that at least 100 homes were damaged statewide. Another priority for the state was to restore power at a few affected polling places ahead of the Nov. 4 election that week.

Though the announcement this week came on the heels of major damaging wildfire events in Oklahoma, it’s important to note that these funds are directed toward the November 2024 event.