Ice Storm Continues to Impact State

Situation Update

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Situation Update 12
12-13-07, 6:30 a.m.

The number of Ice Storm-related fatalities is 21, according to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiners Office; 13 died in motor vehicle crashes, including one who died when a utility pole fell on his vehicle in Tulsa; 3 died in a house fire in Oklahoma City: 1 died in a house fire in Bristow; 2 died in separate house fires in Tulsa; 1 died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Oklahoma City; and 1 died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Claremore.

A Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative lineman remains hospitalized after being injured Tuesday and hospitals continue to see an increased number of patients with symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports statewide 350,932 homes and businesses are without electric service.

AEP-PSO reports 176,292 customers without power, including 169,274 in the Tulsa metro area.

OG&E reports 132,098 customers without power, including 121,333 in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reports about 42,542 rural electric customers without power.

To help identify and document the need for federal Individual Assistance related to this week’s ice storm, OEM will open a call center at 7 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 13. Residents and business owners who have uninsured ice-storm damages are urged to call the toll-free Oklahoma Damage Assessment Hotline at (866) 560-7584 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Operators will be on-hand to take the calls daily. The hotline is needed to gather damage information that, in turn, will strengthen the state’s application for federal disaster assistance for individuals and business owners. The damage reports will identify where damage assessment teams need to check in an effort to build the case that many Oklahomans need disaster assistance. Callers will be asked to provide their name, address of the damaged property and the type of damage their property sustained. They will also be asked if they sustained financial loss because their business or place of employment was closed due to the storm.

Additionally, joint teams of FEMA, state and local officials will begin assessing infrastructure damage in the areas hardest hit by the ice storm. The preliminary damage assessments are needed to support a request for federal Public Assistance for cities, towns and counties. The teams will be looking at roads, bridges and public facilities damaged by the storm, as well as the costs associated with debris removal.

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