Situation Update

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Update #7 – May 14, 2010 – 5:15 p.m.

The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is at Level One activation. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) staff has returned to regular hours while maintaining 24-hour contact with emergency managers in the affected areas through the duty officer.

Showers will continue across parts of the state the next few days as a cold front remains stalled in southeast Oklahoma. Severe thunderstorms are not expected although rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches could occur in southeastern parts of the state. A flood watch is posted for northeast, east central, south central and parts of southeast Oklahoma through Saturday.

Recent damage surveys by the National Weather Service rate the May 10 tornadoes that hit in Little Axe and in Oklahoma City at Choctaw Road and I-40 as EF4s. The Fujita Scale is rated EF0 to EF5 with EF5 being the strongest. The National Weather Service continues to investigate other tornadoes that impacted Oklahoma on May 10.

A state of emergency continues for 56 Oklahoma counties hit hard by the May 10 tornadoes and other severe weather, per executive order issued by Gov. Brad Henry on Tuesday. The executive order marks the first step toward seeking federal assistance. The counties included in the state of emergency are: Alfalfa, Atoka, Beaver, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Harper, Haskell, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McIntosh, McClain, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tillman, Tulsa, Washita and Woodward. More counties will be added as needed.

Two fatalities are attributed to the May 10 storm.

A 41-year-old male was killed near SE 59th and Peebly Road in Oklahoma City.

A 27-year-old female was killed off Rock Creek Road near Norman.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports 104 people were treated at hospitals for (May 10) storm related injuries.

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe continues to operate a shelter for those displaced by the storms at the Resource Center, 1970 156th Avenue in Little Axe.

Disaster Service Centers will open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent-DePaul and other disaster relief agencies and faith based groups will be on-hand to provide resources and information to victims of this week’s tornadoes and other severe weather.

The centers will be located at:

Seminole -- Seminole State College, 2701 Boren Blvd.

Norman -- Crosspointe Church, 2601 24th Ave.

Harrah -- Harrah Church, 101 S. Dobbs.

Preliminary damage assessments (PDAs) for potential federal disaster assistance continue in the affected counties. Specialists with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) are joining local emergency managers in conducting the PDAs for individual assistance. The teams work to determine the unmet financial needs of those whose homes and businesses sustained damage from the tornadoes and other severe weather.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports about 7,006 power outages remain due to the storms. This includes 900 OG&E customers and 4,900 PSO customers (4,000 in Tulsa). Additionally, this includes the following 1,206 rural electric cooperative outages as reported by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative, Seminole: 358 customers without power

Kay Electric Cooperative, Blackwell, OK:  75 outages, mostly in Grant and Kay counties

Lake Region Electric Cooperative, Hulbert:  About 39 customers, most in the Lowery and Park Hill areas.

Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Vinita:  Approximately 11 outages are affecting 220 consumers east of Pryor, north of Grove, and in the Jay area. Some are near Grand Lake, Ketchum and Langley.

Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Norman:  Approximately 289 outages remain, most in Little Axe, Newalla, and East Moore areas.

People’s Electric Cooperative, Ada:  Approximately 92 consumer outages.

The Oklahoma Southern Baptist Men Chainsaw Gangs are available to assist families with debris removal. Their priority on assistance is elderly, handicapped, single mothers and special needs. To contact for assistance call one of the following numbers: (405) 443-7583; (405) 388-6912 and (405) 415-5261.

The Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) will offer tetanus shots on Saturday at Harrah Church, 101 S. Dobbs Road in Harrah and at the volunteer staging area at the Oklahoma County Barn, 7105 S. Anderson Road near I-240.  Hours for both locations are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tetanus shots are also available at OCCHD, 921 NE 23rd Street in Oklahoma City every Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tetanus vaccinations are free of charge.

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) continues to assist communities impacted by the storms. The results from sampling Lake Thunderbird water at the intake have not shown contamination therefore DEQ is reducing their sampling schedule to once a day. Samples taken over the weekend will be analyzed on Monday. The fuel tank for the marina has been removed from the lake and the amount of fuel in the tank will be measured to determine if there was a release from the tank. The entire marina area has been boomed since Tuesday evening. Crews had removed about 13 boats as of Thursday night.

Fact sheets and other information is posted on DEQ’s website under the Tornado Information link on the home page at http://www.deq.state.ok.us/tornado_may_10_2010.htm

Oklahoma’s price gouging statute is in effect in the 56 counties covered by the State of Emergency. The price gouging statute prohibits an increase of more than 10 percent in the price of most goods and services when a State of Emergency has been declared. Anyone who suspects price gouging is urged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit at (405) 521-2029. 

For Oklahoma residents seeking non-emergency health and human service information, please contact your local 2-1-1. Services are available 24 hours a day by dialing 2-1-1 from your home or cellular telephone. Please only call 911 for emergencies.

This week’s weather once again highlights the need for people to stay informed about their local weather. The National Weather Service and OEM remind Oklahomans that a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio can save lives during severe weather.

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