Brad Henry Seeks $15 Million From Lawmakers For Storm Aid

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Gov. Brad Henry will ask the Legislature to chip in with $15 million to help pay costs tied to winter storms that have socked much of Oklahoma. <br/><br/>Henry also announced Monday

Sunday, January 21st 2007, 7:50 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Gov. Brad Henry will ask the Legislature to chip in with $15 million to help pay costs tied to winter storms that have socked much of Oklahoma.

Henry also announced Monday he has officially forwarded his request for a major disaster declaration for eastern Oklahoma to President George Bush.

The governor wants the Legislature to deposit the $15 million in the State Emergency Fund, the account used to reimburse local governments for costs associated with natural and manmade disasters.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, endorsed a plan by Rep. George Faught, R-Muskogee, to set aside at least $10 million in spillover cash from the state's Rainy Day Fund to help pay recovery costs.

Cargill, who met Monday with Muskogee leaders, said he wants to make sure the disaster aid is appropriated in a timely manner, noting it took several years to get state money to local communities after earlier ice storms.

The major disaster declaration request by Henry covers 23 hard-hit counties. They are: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal, Cotton, Craig, Delaware, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Seminole, Sequoyah and Wagoner.

Officials said more counties may be added to the request as damage estimates are compiled in the days to come.

``When all is said and done, this will be one of the most expensive disasters in state history,'' Henry said. ``Oklahomans have been through a lot over the past few weeks and are facing an even longer recovery period. The least the state can do is set aside the money that will be needed to help communities rebuild and recover from these storms.''

Albert Ashwood, director of the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management, said the preliminary damage estimate for the 23 counties is $39.1 million. Officials expect that figure to climb.

Federal funds are expected to pay most the disaster response and recovery costs, but state and local officials will have to pay a percentage of the bill. The final total will not be known for many weeks, but the state's share is expected to top $10 million.

At Henry's request, legislators deposited $15 million in the State Emergency Fund last year. But most of that money was quickly spent on unpaid bills from past disasters, including the ice storms of 2000 and 2002.

The emergency account now contains only $500,000, a fraction of the amount that will be needed to meet the obligations related to the latest winter storms.

Ice and snow storms of December and January left more than 125,000 Oklahomans without power and contributed to at least 32 fatalities, according to figures from the governor's office.

The winter storms felled power lines, trees and other structures, causing additional damage to homes and businesses.