Oklahoma Price Gouging Law in Effect After Violent Weather
More tornadoes were reported in northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas on Tuesday, following several days of violent weather in the region.
As a result of the recent heavy rain and storms, causing flooding, tornadoes and damage throughout the state, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter on Wednesday placed the Emergency Price Stabilization Act into effect all 77 counties in the state.
The law, also referred to as the price gouging statute, triggers automatically after a declaration of emergency and prohibits an increase of more than 10 percent for the price of goods and services. The law also allows his office to prosecute individuals who attempt to inflate prices of goods and services in an attempt to take advantage of victims.
The act is in effect for 30 days after the declared emergency. It remains in effect for another 180 days for prices for repairs, remodeling and construction. If convicted, individuals who break the law face fines of $10,000 per violation.
The National Weather Service in Tulsa is investigating reports of multiple small tornadoes in Rogers, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties in Oklahoma and Franklin County in Arkansas. Sellers said an investigator was working Wednesday to confirm the reports, determine the amount of damage and rate the possible tornadoes.
Severe thunderstorms with strong winds also rolled through central Oklahoma on Tuesday, flipping parked vehicles and causing more than 3,000 power outages.
Six small tornadoes from a single storm system hit Texas and Oklahoma on Sunday, including one that forced the closure of a state highway in northeastern Oklahoma for more than six hours.