Ice Storm Response/Recovery Efforts Continue

Situation Update

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Situation Update 23
12-18-07, 6 p.m.

The number of Ice Storm-related fatalities remains 27, according to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office.

• 16 died in motor vehicle accidents
• 8 died in house fires
• 2 died of carbon monoxide poisoning
• 1 died of hypothermia

A Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative lineman injured last week remains in a Tulsa hospital.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports statewide 61,930 homes and businesses are without electric service. Power outages topped 640,000 at the height of the outages.

AEP-PSO reports 20,271 customers without power, including 19,971 in the Tulsa metro area.

OG&E reports 37,501 customers without power, including 34,440 in the Oklahoma City metro area and 2,122 in Sapulpa.

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reports 3,573 rural electric customers without power including 2,800 Verdigris Valley Electric, 400 Indian Electric and 298 Northeast Oklahoma Electric customers. OAEC also reports 3,877 poles destroyed by the ice storm.

Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma reports about 550 customers without power in Cushing, Miami and Skiatook.

Empire District Electric Company reports about 35 customers without power in far northeast areas of the state.

Dry and mild conditions will continue across the state through mid day Friday. High temperatures will be in the upper 50s to low 60s with lows in the 30s. A chance of rain and snow returns to the state Friday evening through Saturday. 

Pres. George Bush today granted Gov. Brad Henry’s request for a major disaster declaration for seven Oklahoma counties impacted by last week’s ice storm. As more damage assessments are completed, additional requests will be made for more counties to be declared. The declaration means public assistance will be available to local governments for expenses related to infrastructure damage including roads, bridges and public facilities, as well as the costs of debris removal. Counties now covered are Cleveland, Lincoln, Mayes, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Tulsa and Wagoner.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is continuing surveys to build the state’s anticipated request to the President for 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. daily. Since opening Thursday, the hotline has taken nearly 6,000 damage reports.

Shelters are open at the following 11 locations.

• Agra – Senior Citizen Center
• Beggs – First Baptist Church, 110 W. Fifth
• Bristow – Bristow Indian Community Center, 710 S. Main
• Bristow – First Baptist Church
• Claremore – First United Methodist Church, 1615 N. Highway 88
• Oklahoma City – Cox Center
• Sapulpa – Sapulpa Indian Community, 1020 N. Brown
• Sperry – First Baptist Church, 115 N. Cincinnati
• Tryon – First Baptist Church
• Tulsa – Tulsa Indian Community, 8611 S. Union
• Tulsa – Crosstown Church of Christ, 3400 E. Admiral Place

The American Red Cross reports about 860 individuals stayed at shelters Monday night.

In addition to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Southern Baptist Men’s Relief Effort are serving meals at many of the shelters.

Oklahoma211 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 2-1-1from 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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