Gov. Greg Gianforte on Thursday issued an executive order declaring a wind disaster in Montana.

The order authorizes the use of state government resources, including funding, to address needs arising from an extreme wind event across the state this week.

On Wednesday, communities throughout the state experienced a severe high-wind event, with sustained winds near 65 miles per hour and gusts nearing 100 miles per hour battering Montana.

Ravalli, Wheatland, Mineral and Flathead counties as well as the cities of Hamilton and Harlowton have enacted emergency declarations and city, county, state, and tribal personnel are working to remove debris, the governor said in a press release.

Additionally, the Montana Disaster & Emergency Services State Emergency Coordination Center is activated and expects to receive declarations of emergencies from additional local and tribal jurisdictions as a winter storm cell continues to move through central and eastern Montana.