Storm packs a real punch

Barry Porterfield, Pauls Valley Daily Democrat, Okla.
·2 min read

Mar. 1—It appears Garvin County mostly came away far better off than other parts of Oklahoma after a storm packing a real punch blasted through the state Sunday night causing severe damage in some places.

Reports have confirmed there were at least seven late February tornadoes from the strong storm that resulted in one casualty, tore off building roofs in some spots, caused damage to trees and left many in the state without electricity.

Here in Garvin County it was more on the light side compared to other harder hit parts of the state.

"We didn't have any real significant damage," said Dave Johnson, director of Garvin County Emergency Management.

"There was nobody out of house and nobody had to be relocated. There are somewhere around 40 to 50 citizens without power right now," he said Monday morning while address all three county commissioners.

"Trees and tree limbs were damaged but that was just about all."

He was quick to add District 2 did get the most damage in the county, which included some car ports.

----During the commissioners' regular meeting this week Mike Gollihare, after spending much of last week at the county fairgrounds for a livestock show, expressed his thanks to the other commissioners for their help in making some renovations a reality for the buildings there.

"I appreciate all of you for helping out there," said Gollihare, who is the District 3 commissioner.

"I think it's made a big difference. People are excited about getting something new and nice."

It was all three commissioners who agreed last year some of the American Rescue Plan Act, best known simply as ARPA, money coming to the county should be used to provide the fairgrounds with a new roof and siding, along with insulation for most of the buildings and the addition of a new overhead door to help with drive-thru vaccination clinics in the future.

Some of those upgrades, completed in recent weeks, were on full display during the Garvin County Junior Livestock Show held throughout last week before wrapping up with a premium sale Monday night.