Ice Storm Response/Recovery Efforts Continue

Situation Update

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Situation Update 19
12-16-07, 5:30 p.m.

The number of Ice Storm-related fatalities remains 23, according to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office: 13 died in motor vehicle accidents including one who died when a utility pole fell on his vehicle in Tulsa; 8 died in house fires; and, 2 died of carbon monoxide poisoning. We are working with the medical examiner’s office to confirm whether additional fatalities that occurred over the weekend will be attributed to the disaster.

A Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative lineman remains hospitalized after being injured Tuesday.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports statewide 153,426 homes and businesses are without electric service. This is down from 330,000 without power on Friday night.

AEP-PSO reports 43,361 customers without power, including 42,145 in the Tulsa metro area and 1,098 in Vinita.

OG&E reports 97,129 customers without power, including 89,483 in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reports 8,136 rural electric customers without power including 3,750 Verdigris Valley Electric and 3,470 Northeast Oklahoma Electric customers. OAEC also reports 3,615 poles destroyed by the ice storm.

Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma reports about 3,900 customers without power in Collinsville, Cushing, Miami, Pryor, Skiatook and Stroud.

Empire District Electric Company reports about 900 customers without power in far northeast areas of the state.

Dry and mild conditions are expected through Tuesday, with a slight chance of rain to follow on Wednesday. Monday will see windy conditions, with gusts to 30 mph by Monday night. Daytime temperatures will be in the mid-50s, with nighttime lows in the mid-30s.

For Oklahoma Road Conditions call 888-425-2385, a toll-free information line operated by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. For road conditions in neighboring states call: Texas, 800-452-9292; Kansas, 866-511-5368; Arkansas, 800-245-1672; and Missouri, 800-222-6400.

Oklahoma awaits word on Gov. Brad Henry’s request to President George Bush for a major disaster declaration for an initial seven Oklahoma counties devastated by the recent ice storm. As more damage assessments are completed, requests will be made for additional counties to be declared. If approved, cities, towns and counties impacted by last weekend’s ice storm will receive public assistance for expenses related to response and recovery efforts. The counties listed in the request are: Cleveland, Lincoln, Mayes, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Tulsa and Wagoner. In these seven counties, preliminary estimates for debris removal and utility damage (rural electric cooperatives and municipally-operated electric systems) alone exceed $30.4 million. Preliminary damage assessments continue in affected counties throughout the state.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) continues to build the state’s case for federal Individual Assistance. Residents and business owners who have uninsured ice storm damages are urged to call the toll-free Oklahoma Damage Assessment Hotline (866) 560-7584 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Operators are on-hand to take the calls daily. Since opening Thursday, the hotline has taken 3,500 damage reports. Due to heavy call volume, the line is often busy. Oklahomans are reminded there is plenty of time to report their damage. The hotline is open seven days a week and will remain open for at least the next 10 days. THIS IS NOT A FEMA APPLICATION LINE. IT IS OPERATED BY THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

All 77 Oklahoma counties also remain under a State of Emergency and the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated. In addition to OEM, agencies and organizations represented at the EOC include the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma Military Department, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, OG&E, Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives, American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Resources continue to be deployed to cities, towns through the State EOC.

Shelters are open at the following 47 locations.

• Agra– Senior Citizen Center
• Bartlesville- First Baptist Church, 405 S. Cherokee
• Beggs – First Baptist Church, 110 W. Fifth
• Bixby - New Beginnings Church, 4104 E. 151st
• Bristow – Bristow Indian Community Center, 710 S. Main
• Bristow – First Baptist Church
• Broken Arrow- Arrow Heights Church, 3201 S. Elm Place
• Catoosa – 20 S. 200 Ave.
• Cedar Lake– Fire Department, 11150 S. Cedar Road
• Chandler- First Baptist Church, 912 W. First
• Claremore - First United Methodist Church, 1615 N. Highway 88
• Collinsville- First Baptist Church, 1301 W. Main
• Commerce - Southeast Baptist Church, 206 Amarillo Drive
• Coweta – First Assembly of God, 29707 E. SH 51
• Cushing – Cushing Jr. High School
• Davenport– Davenport Nazarene Church, 116 E. First
• Disney – Delaware Fire Department
• Drumright – First Baptist Church, 229 S. Ohio
• Jennings– First Baptist Church, 602 N. Main
• Ketchum - Methodist Church, 206 Amarillo Drive
• Mannford - Community Activity Center, 100 Common Ave.
• Meeker – 510 W. Carl Hubbard
• Miami- Assembly of God, 1815 E. Steve Owens Blvd.
• Moore– Community Center, 301 S. Howard (NE corner of 4th and I-35)
• Newcastle– Newcastle Storm Shelter, 851 N. Car
• Norman– Little Axe Shawnee-Absentee Tribe, 1960 156th Ave. NE
• Nowata – Fire Department, 425 S. Cedar
• Oilton – Freewill Baptist Church
• Oklahoma City– Cox Center
• Okmulgee– Twin Hills Indian Community, 8110 Hwy 52 and 16
• Owasso - First Christian, 96th Street Nand 122nd Ave. East
• Pitcher – 100 Deville
• Rolling Hills – Community Center, 20 E. 200 E Ave.
• Sapulpa– Sapulpa Indian Community, 1020 N. Brown
• Sapulpa– First Presbyterian Church
• Shawnee- Expo Center, 1700 W. Independence
• Skiatook – First Baptist Church, 940 W. Oak
• Sperry - First Baptist Church, 115 N. Cincinnati
• Tryon – First Baptist Church
• Tulsa- First Baptist Church, 403 S. Cincinnati
• Tulsa- Asbury United Methodist Church, 6767 S. Mingo
• Tulsa- Lutheran Church of Good Sheppard, 8730 E. Skelly Drive
• Tulsa- Tulsa Indian Community, 8611 S. Union
• Vera - Fire Department
• Welch – Welch Civic Center, 600 S. Curtis
• Welston – First Baptist Church
• Yale – Yale Senior Center

The American Red Cross reports about 2,400 individuals stayed at shelters Saturday night.

Oklahoma 211 continues to receive calls from Oklahomans impacted by the Ice Storm. 211 is for anyone seeking non-emergency disaster or health and human service information. Services are available 24 hours a day by dialing 2-1-1 from your home or cellular telephone in the following areas.

Tulsa Area/Green Country, dial 2-1-1or 918-836-4357

OKC Metro/Central OK, dial 2-1-1or 405-286-4057

Southeastern OK, dial 2-1-1or 580-332-0558

Northeast OK, dial 2-1-1or 918-336-2255

Southwest OK, dial 2-1-1or 580-355-7575

Due to high call volumes, callers may receive a busy signal when calling 2-1-1. Call specialists are available 24/7, so please continue to call 2-1-1 for disaster related information.

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