Situation Update

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

Situation Update 6

December 8, 2013, 2:45 p.m.

Due to the latest winter storm impacting Oklahoma, the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated at level 3 through the weekend--extended hours for key personnel. Agencies and organizations represented at the State EOC during activation have included the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Services: Forestry Services Division, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross and other disaster relief agencies.

Another round of winter weather is expected on Monday across central and northern Oklahoma with 1-3 inches of snow likely in northern Oklahoma and a dusting to one inch possible in central sections of the state. Temperatures will slowly warm during the week, reaching the 40s by late in the week.

A State of Emergency for all 77 Oklahoma counties remains in place. On Thursday, Governor Mary Fallin issued the declaration due to the winter storm. The Executive Order allows state agencies to make emergency purchases related to disaster relief and preparedness. It is also a first step toward seeking federal assistance should it be necessary.

The American Red Cross is supporting four shelters:

• Choctaw Nation Community Center at 400 W O Street in Antlers.
• Choctaw Nation Community Center at 408 N M Street in Hugo. This shelter is operated by the Choctaw Nation.
• Friendship Baptist Church at 13127 Highway 120 in Rock Island
• First Baptist Church at 800 Clay Street in Soper

Baptist Disaster Relief is operating feeding kitchens for residents in Hugo and Rock Island.

Warming centers are open in the following locations:

• First Baptist Church of Antlers at 208 NE B Street in Antlers
• Bryan County Health Department at 1524 W Chuckwa in Durant
• Valiant Assembly of God at 612 N Dalton in Valliant

The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Baptist Disaster Relief remain on standby to assist with shelters, warming centers and feeding stations in other impacted areas.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports one weather related fatality was confirmed in Muskogee on Thursday.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, 247 storm related injuries have been reported by area hospitals including 172 falls. 

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has responded to 201 non-injury and 65 injury weather-related collisions since 8 a.m. Thursday.

Oklahoma Forestry Division and Oklahoma National Guard continued to respond to Pushmataha and Choctaw counties today with equipment to move fallen trees out of roadways.

Baptist Disaster Relief is moving chainsaw teams to Hugo, Antlers and Pocola to assist in clearing county roads blocked by downed trees as well as assisting families with trees blocking access to homes and driveways.

OEM is in contact with local emergency managers in the affected areas as well as numerous emergency response, recovery partners. OEM staff remain in the hardest hit areas of the state, assisting communities with local response, recovery efforts.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports more than 5,100 homes and businesses are without power across the state -- most in southeast Oklahoma.

PSO: 864 Hugo and Antlers area (includes Hugo, Antlers, Fort Towson, Sawyer)

Arkansas Valley Electric Total: Approximately 197 (Pocola, Roland)

Choctaw Electric Cooperative:Approximately 4,000 (Hugo area)

Southeastern Electric Cooperative: Approximately 75 (Durant area)

Crews from at least 8 different Electric Cooperatives from across Oklahoma are assisting in the restoration effort at Choctaw Electric Cooperative.

At the height of the storm on Friday, there were more than 9,300 homes and businesses without power.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) reports north and southbound SH-91 is closed to through traffic south of the OK/TX border due to accidents and congestion in Texas. In addition, all commercial trucks are prohibited from crossing into Texas on US-69/US-75 south of Durant by request of our transportation and law enforcement counterparts in Texas. While roads in southern Oklahoma are improving and passable, icy and slick conditions on these roads in Texas have made travel treacherous and many accidents have occurred. All travel into these areas is strongly discouraged through today.

Accidents and icy conditions at the Oklahoma/Texas border continue to create back-ups and extreme congestion on north and southbound I-35 south of Ardmore; US-69/75 and SH-91 south of Durant and US-377/SH-99 south of Madill. Drivers are still strongly encouraged to avoid the areas entirely. For Texas road conditions call 800-452-9292.

Around-the-clock road clearance operations continue on highways and interstates in these areas.

To check CURRENT ROAD CONDITIONS, call the Department of Public Safety's ROAD CONDITIONS HOTLINE at 405-425-2385 or visit http://www.dps.state.ok.us/cgi-bin/weathermap.cgi.

The Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General reports that Oklahoma’s Emergency Price Stabilization Act remains in effect for 77 Oklahoma counties due to the Governor’s State of Emergency. Attorney General Scott Pruitt said Oklahoma’s 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.

For Oklahoma residents seeking non-emergency disaster or health and human service information, please contact 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.

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Situation Updates are posted at www.oem.ok.gov

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Next Situation Update: As conditions warrant