August 30, 2008 Hurricane Gustav Situation Update 5

Oklahoma Department of emergency Management

Situation Update 5
September 5, 2008 – 11:30 a.m.

State and local officials continue to assist neighboring states impacted by Hurricane Gustav.

A State of Emergency, as declared by Gov. Henry, remains in effect for Oklahoma and the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated. Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) continue to work with FEMA and officials in Louisiana to provide assistance.

OEM continues to assist the City of Oklahoma City with operation of the Oklahoma City Evacuee Support Shelter, located at the former Lucent Technologies plant, 7725 W. Reno. On Thursday, 914 evacuees and their pets departed the shelter on buses bound for Louisiana. Bus transport operations continue for the remaining 620 evacuees and 20 pets at the shelter.

OEM is also assisting with requests for equipment and personnel to be sent to hurricane impacted areas through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), an interstate mutual aid agreement. The following resources have been or are in the process of being deployed.

Thursday, 11 Tulsa County Sheriff’s deputies were deployed to Louisiana to support local parish law enforcement activities. Additionally, one Oklahoma National Guard transportation platoon, including 35 personnel and their five-ton trucks, was deployed to Louisiana.

Personnel with Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office continue to assist with law enforcement duties in Louisiana.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Emergency Response Team remains in Louisiana, assisting local law enforcement officials with patrols and calls for service.

Oklahoma National Guard personnel who deployed earlier in the week with an OH-58 helicopter and C-23 cargo plane have completed their work in Texas and Louisiana and are returning home.

OEM continues to discourage Oklahomans from self-deploying to the areas of the Gulf Coast region impacted by Gustav. As Oklahoma continues to receive requests for personnel, equipment and supplies, OEM will look to local county and municipal emergency managers to identify the needed resources and work through EMAC to deploy resources to the affected areas.

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) reports 74 personnel continue to assist CLECO Power with electric restoration efforts in Louisiana. The team is working in the communities of Franklin and Jeanerette, which are located in Iberia Parish.

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reports 12 Oklahoma-based electric cooperatives continue to assist with power line restoration in New Roads, La, about 35 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. The electric coops providing assistance are: Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative, Seminole; Cimarron Electric Cooperative, Kingfisher; East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Okmulgee; Kiamichi Electric Cooperative, Wilburton; Lake Region Electric Cooperative, Hulbert; Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Vinita; Verdigris Valley Electric Cooperative, Collinsville; Rural Electric Cooperative, Lindsay; Northwestern Electric Cooperative, Woodward; Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Stigler and Sallisaw; Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Norman; and, People’s Electric Cooperative, Ada. About 70 Oklahoma electric co-op personnel are assisting.

Monetary donations are best. A number of the disaster relief agencies Oklahomans always depend on in disaster times continue to assist those affected by Gustav. Oklahomans are urged to give to the disaster relief agency of their choice, to include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other faith-based organizations. Go to www.okvoad.org for a list of disaster relief organizations.

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