( CNN ) -- Oklahoma 's governor Tuesday declared states of emergency in 56 counties following a string of deadly tornadoes and severe storms that swept through the area the day before . Gov . Brad Henry took an aerial tour of one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday afternoon . `` I lost track of the number of damaged and destroyed homes that we saw , '' Henry said . `` Literally hundreds and I think thousands of homes have received damage in these storms , and many , many of those homes have been destroyed . '' Are you there ? Send images , video . `` Even though central Oklahoma was the hardest hit , this storm really was a statewide event , and there is damage and destruction throughout the state , '' he said . The governor said that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured him `` that FEMA would act very , very quickly on our request for a presidential disaster ( declaration ) and federal aid . '' Meanwhile , a maze of downed power lines and wrecked homes in parts of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , hindered search-and-rescue efforts Tuesday as authorities worked to ensure no more victims of Monday 's tornadoes lay in the rubble . The state Department of Emergency Management lowered its death toll from five to two , saying that three children had been erroneously reported dead . The children are in critical condition , the state said . Their mother was one of the two dead . More than 100 people were treated for various injuries , the state said . Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said 80 homes and businesses in the city were destroyed by the storm , which he called `` probably the most significant '' to hit during his seven years in office . The storm system that swept through the state on Monday spawned multiple tornadoes and dropped softball-sized hail . More bad weather was on the way Tuesday , and the National Weather Service warned Oklahomans to prepare for severe storms Tuesday afternoon and early evening . Tornado watch in western Oklahoma . Officials said they planned to release more detailed damage estimates Tuesday and decide how to manage cleanup efforts in areas where tornadoes left behind snapped utility poles , downed trees and severely damaged homes . In Norman , Oklahoma , south of Oklahoma City , mobile homes were blown to pieces in one neighborhood , where debris littered yards and streets alongside large trees ripped straight from the ground . Watch iReport video of tornado in Norman , Oklahoma . Norman resident and CNN iReporter Erica Loftis said she spotted the funnel cloud from Interstate 40 while headed to her parents ' home and could see it headed toward the home when she arrived . She and her parents took shelter in a small cement room with steel doors , where they could feel their ears popping and hear the storm ripping away parts of the house around them . `` You could feel the pressure - it was scary , '' Loftis said . Outside , the sound of `` screeching metal '' filled the air , she said . Afterward , all the home 's windows were broken , its chimney was blown into a neighbor 's yard and the garage door was sucked in . In addition , a boat from a nearby marine store ended up in one of their trees , she said . And a truck stop east of Oklahoma City was demolished , taking a direct hit from one of the tornadoes , according to a spokeswoman for Love 's Travel Stops and Country Stores . But motorists who pulled off the interstate to take cover were ushered into the truck stop 's large coolers and restrooms before the tornado tore the roof off the building , blew out car windows and overturned tractor-trailers , spokeswoman Christina Dukeman said . Love 's employee Charlescie Greenway said she and two other women made it to one cooler before the twister hit . `` The three of us were kind of trapped in there , holding the door shut , praying to God that we do n't die and that everybody else was safe , '' Greenway told CNN affiliate KWTV , adding , `` it was really scary -- the wind was like trying to pull the door off the latch . '' Cornett said quick thinking by the truck stop 's employees saved people inside . `` They were all huddled into a cooler and all walked out alive , '' he said . More than 65,000 homes and businesses were without power throughout the state , emergency management officials said . Nearly 15,000 homes were without power in Norman alone , according to Oklahoma Gas & Electric . The Lake Draper Water Treatment Plant , which provides about half of Oklahoma City 's water , was also without power , City Manager Jim Couch said . Because of the outage , city officials placed a ban on outside watering for 48 hours , he said . `` It 's unknown when that power will be restored , '' he said . `` Major transmission lines in the area have been damaged . '' State emergency officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed and another 70 sustained major damage . Additionally , 43 businesses were destroyed . CNN 's Tyson Wheatley contributed to this report .
NEW : State officials lower death toll from five to two . Storm destroyed more than 100 homes and 43 businesses . Truck stop east of Oklahoma City destroyed by direct hit from tornado . More than 65,000 homes , businesses without power throughout the state .