Tornadoes likely to change state budget priorities, Senate leader says

The weekend storm that hammered 12 counties, spawned several tornadoes and left at least four dead will likely have a big impact on the state's 2025 budget, the majority leader of the Oklahoma Senate said Monday.

State Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, said the storm that cut a swath through Sulphur and Holdenville — both communities in his Senate district — will affect the Legislature's priorities for this year, too. He said state lawmakers are now moving quickly to ensure money is set aside to help the communities affected by the storm rebuild.

"It is now a very high priority to make sure that there's adequate funding for emergency management," McCortney said. "The biggest thing that we, as the Legislature, can do is make sure that we have the money set aside to help these communities rebuild. It will be a partnership between the country, the state and the federal government. That means there's going to be some changes made to the budget that the House and Senate have both presented."

McCortney, the Senate's incoming pro tempore, said lawmakers also were coordinating efforts to assist residents in the area. "The state has a big part to play, and I can promise you, we'll do everything that we can to make sure the state does its job here."

Over the weekend, McCortney joined House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt in Sulphur. The governor issued an emergency declaration for Carter, Cotton, Garfield, Hughes, Kay, Lincoln, Love, Murray, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Payne and Pontotoc counties.

McCall said the state will likely split a 25% funding match with areas affected by the tornadoes. The federal government’s Federal Emergency Management Administration program pays the other 75%. It’s a similar process the state used last year when a tornado hit Shawnee.

More: Did this weekend break Oklahoma's record for most tornadoes in one day? NWS tracking dozens

He said the business communities are in a tougher situation, depending on their own insurance. “We need to come together and get the budget figured out, finalize policy and get back out to help the people. We can do more outside this building than inside the building,” McCall said.

McCall said the Legislature doesn’t have an agreed upon budget yet. He said Chairman Kevin Wallace was expected to discuss tornado relief in the budget meeting today.

'Destruction like I've never witnessed before'

McCortney said examining the damage was heartbreaking.

"After it (the storm) went through downtown, it went through a residential neighborhood, about four blocks by six blocks," he said. "There is barely a house that has a roof. A lot of houses don't have walls anymore. Destruction like I've never witnessed before."

People in the area, he said, are trying to pull things out of those houses and save what can be saved. "It was hard to watch," McCortney said. "It was hard to see."

The governor called the damage in Sulphur "unbelievable."

In Holdenville, tornadoes destroyed houses along Highway 48 north of town along with fallen trees and power poles. At the Alan Gamble Correctional Center, on E 133rd Road, damage was slight, Corrections Spokesperson Kay Thompson said.

"AGCC received minor damage to the greenhouse and a couple of other places," Thompson said in an email to The Oklahoman. "No housing units received any damage. There were no injuries. We were on generators for a while, but power was restored."

Stitt's office said state officials have already been in touch with FEMA. He said President Joe Biden is working with state leaders for disaster relief.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma tornado damage likely to affect budget talks, senator says