Gov. Henry Declares State of Emergency

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- As a strong winter storm takes aim at Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry has declared a State of Emergency for all 77 counties.

"Our hope is the storm will not be as severe as many weather models have predicted, but we will be ready to respond to anything," Gov. Henry said.

Emergency officials said with the threat of widespread power outages and heavy precipitation, the declaration will be the first step to receive federal aid for the state.

"We began preparing for the winter storm earlier this week by pre-positioning assets across the state and putting the proper personnel in the field. As the storm moves Oklahoma, we will ramp up our response efforts. State troopers, National Guard personnel, emergency management officials, road crews and other first responders will all be on call, helping Oklahomans everywhere they can," Henry said.