Cars and pedestrians travel down West Lincoln way in downtown Cheyenne on Monday. The governor issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday in response to the storm.
Gov. Mark Gordon issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday morning after a historic snowstorm slammed southeastern Wyoming over the weekend.
The governor’s executive order will make it easier for counties to coordinate response efforts as roads, schools and businesses attempt to reopen.
The declaration mobilizes Wyoming’s Office of Homeland Security to use both state and federal resources to mitigate the damage caused by the storm.
The Wyoming National Guard could also potentially be deployed for emergency assistance, if the adjutant general, governor and Homeland Security officials deem such action necessary.
But no guard members have been activated as of Wednesday morning.
“The scale and intensity of this storm have caused severe impacts to our transportation infrastructure and agriculture producers,” Gordon said in a statement. “As the scope of the situation unfolds and with the possibility of flooding as temperatures warm, it’s imperative we make all our resources available to respond to the needs in our communities.”
The record-breaking storm dumped over two feet of snow on the state’s two largest cities and surrounding towns over several days, causing massive closures.
The state capital recorded over 30.8 inches of snowfall over two days in some parts. Casper recorded 26.3 inches.
Interstates 25 and 80 closed for over three days, but both reopened on Wednesday.
Follow the latest on Wyoming’s energy industry and the environment at @camillereports
Camille Erickson
Energy and Natural Resources Reporter
Camille Erickson covers the state's energy industries. She received her master's degree at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Before moving to Casper in 2019, she reported on business and labor in Minneapolis, Chicago and Washington.
