Alva Review-Courier -

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says a federal disaster declaration has been approved for 16 counties affected by storms and tornadoes in mid-May.

Fallin said Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved declaration for Alfalfa, Beckham, Cherokee, Coal, Cotton, Delaware, Johnston, Le Flore, Murray, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Roger Mills and Washita counties.

Approval means federal funding is available to assist cities, counties, rural electric cooperatives and the state with infrastructure repairs and costs associated with responding to the storms.

The storms from May 16-20 caused an estimated $6.5 million in damage and produced flooding, power outages, three EF2 tornadoes with wind speed of up 135 mph and are blamed for one death.