Situation Update

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
Situation Update 7
December 30, 2015 4:45 p.m.

Due to the hazardous weather conditions, the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated for extended hours for key personnel. OEM is in contact with emergency managers across the state and coordinating with numerous agencies and organizations including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, National Weather Service, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), and Civil Air Patrol.

The State of Emergency declared by Gov. Mary Fallin on November 29 has been extended for an additional 30 days for all 77 counties. Under the Executive Order, state agencies can make emergency purchases and acquisitions needed to expedite the delivery of resources to local jurisdictions. The declaration also marks a first step toward seeking federal assistance should it be necessary.

Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reports five people have died as a result of severe weather that began Saturday.

Female, 38 years old, Oklahoma City
Female, 66 years old, Yukon
Male, age not identified, Kay County
Male, 36 years old, Pittsburg County
Female, 54 years old, Bixby

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports 104 storm-related injuries have been treated by Oklahoma hospitals.

Falls: 58
Transportation related: 30
Carbon monoxide poisoning: 9
Cut/Pierce: 3
Other: 4

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports 955 weather-related collisions, including 137 injury collisions. Additionally, OHP provided 39 motorist assists, to include water rescues.

American Red Cross reports nine shelters are open:

• Camp Christian, 275 Camp Christian Lane, Chouteau
• El Reno YMCA, 2200 Babcock, El Reno
• National Guard Armory, 1900 E. Flagstone, Highway 5, Frederick
• Cedar Lake Chapel, 21619 E. 6th Street, Hinton
• Hollis Civic Center, 208 W. Jones, Hollis
• Church of Christ, 913 W. Will Rogers, Kingfisher
• Cameron Baptist Church, 2621 S.W. C Avenue, Lawton
• Medicine Park Community Center, 19001 Highway 49, Medicine Park
• Mountain View Pentecostal Holiness Church, Mountain View
• First Baptist Church, 729 East Street, Snyder

Twenty-six people stayed at shelters Tuesday night.

The following warming stations are operated or supported by American Red Cross

• Hunter Community Center, 101 Buffalo Road, Hunter
• Summers Nursing Home, 119 N. 6th Street in Okeene
• Snowhill Baptist Church, 11 S. Morgan Road in Tuttle

The following warming stations are operated by The Salvation Army:

• 318 E. Hayes, Norman
• 1001 N. Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City

The following locally operated warming stations are open:

• Cashion Fire Department, 402 N. Main, Cashion
• Warren Community Center, 21123 State Highway 19, Warren
• 111 N. Weigle in Watonga
• The Pioneer Center, 1000 Gartrell Place, Weatherford

At least 225 people visited the warming stations Tuesday.

Twenty-eight industrial size generators provided by OEM, Oklahoma National Guard or FEMA have been deployed to assist local cities and counties to provide power to warming stations, shelters and water facilities. Additional generators are being deployed today.

Civil Air Patrol is doing flyovers to provide aerial photographs of the impacted areas to help with damage assessments.

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality reports the following locations are under a precautionary boil order* due to a loss of water pressure:

• Blue Quail Estates Public Water Supply (Canadian County
• Geary
• Greenfield
• Harmon County Rural Water District
• Hydro
• Roosevelt

*These are precautionary boil orders, not mandatory boil orders. As a precaution, it is advised that consumers in the areas listed above bring the water to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute before consumption, drinking, food preparation, baby formula preparation, dish washing, tooth brushing, ice making, wound care, and bathing infants who may ingest bath water. Alternatively, bottled water or another acceptable water source may be used.

Stranded Motorist Assistance Recovery Teams (SMART) positioned in western Oklahoma assisted approximately 170 motorists Saturday through Tuesday morning and provided wrecker support to several motorists who accidentally slid into ditches. More than 130 Oklahoma National Guard personnel, many from the 45th Infantry Brigade, participated in the mission, working closely with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. The teams worked from Guthrie to the Kansas border along I-35, and throughout western Oklahoma along I-40.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports approximately 50,000 power outages statewide.

Municipal Electric Utilities – Total: 2,278

Frederick: 1,900
Manitou: 93
Olustee: 295

PSO – Total: 4,223

Largest outage areas:  
Lawton, Cache – 148
Tuttle, Elgin, Cyril, Rush Springs, Cornville – 1,668
Weatherford, Thomas, Hinton – 835
Snyder, Davidson, Elmer, Headrick, Frederick, Duke, Altus – 572
Hobart, Mountain View, Dill City, Roosevelt, Gotebo,– 1,038

OG&E – Total: 12,159

Largest outage areas:
OKC - 2,227
El Reno - 2,070
Enid - 826
Piedmont - 770
Yukon - 760
Garber - 714
Okarche - 678
Hennessey - 612
Village - 354
Lahoma - 305

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives report 31,574 outages

Alfalfa Electric Cooperative - Total: 376
Caddo Electric Cooperative - Total: 8,207
Central Rural Electric Cooperative - Total: 69
Cimarron Electric Cooperative - Total: 8,609
Cotton Electric Cooperative - Total: 986
Harmon Electric Cooperative – Total: 1,000
Indian Electric Cooperative - Total: 23
Kay Electric Cooperative - Total: 1,716
Kiwash Electric Cooperative – Total: 2,135
Lake Region Electric Cooperative - Total: 59
Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative – Total: 4
Northfork Electric Cooperative – Total: 2,200
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative - Total: 1,200
People’s Electric Cooperative - Total: 1
Southwest Rural Electric Association – Total: 5,000

Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports significant road closures continue across eastern Oklahoma due to flooding. These conditions have been changing rapidly and some closures may continue through the week while water recedes. Drivers are urged to avoid standing water on roadways and to check for closures before traveling. ODOT recommends drivers check their new interactive highway conditions map at www.okroads.org or call 1-844-4OKHWYS (844-465-4997) to “Know B4 U Go.”

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry reports flooding in eastern Oklahoma may lead to stranded livestock. State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall is encouraging all livestock owners to move animals to higher ground to avoid the possibility of stranded livestock. It is anticipated that water will continue to rise in many areas of the eastern region of the state over the next few days.

For Oklahoma residents seeking non-emergency disaster or 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.

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