Situation Update 7

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

Situation Update 7

May 10, 2019 – 5:45 p.m.

As a result of ongoing severe weather response and recovery efforts, the State Emergency Operations Center remains activated. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is in contact with emergency managers across the state and coordinating with agencies and organizations including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Oklahoma Insurance Department, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, Oklahoma American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief and the Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

A State of Emergency remains in effect for 66 Oklahoma counties due to severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding that began April 30. 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.

The counties included in the declaration are: Adair, Alfalfa, Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Custer,Delaware, Dewey, Garvin, Grady, Greer, Haskell, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Latimer, Le Flore, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Nowata, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Roger Mills, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tillman, Tulsa, Wagoner, Washington, Washita, and Woods.

A Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) has been open today in Pittsburg county and another will be open tomorrow in Bryan County. A MARC is a central location for local and state agencies, as well as voluntary organizations, to answer questions and provide information and disaster-related assistance. Anyone affected by the recent storms is urged to come and check on available services and relief information. Please bring photo ID and verification of residence.

The MARCs will be open in the following locations:

Friday, May 10, Noon - 7 p.m.

Pittsburg County Civic Center (County Barn)

200 Craig Ave., Haleyville, OK 74546

Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Rock Creek Elementary

23072 US Highway 70, Durant, OK 74701

In Atoka County, an American Red Cross Client Service Center will be open Sunday, where American Red Cross caseworkers will be available to meet individually with families to determine emergency disaster needs including financial assistance. Please bring photo ID and verification of residence.

Sunday, May 12, 2019, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. 
Lane Baptist Church 
6247 Iron Stob Road, Lane, OK 74555

Residents in Atoka County can also call the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management at (405) 496-9329 to ask about resources that may be available in their area.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been monitoring lake levels and potential flood impacts. Keystone Lake and Kaw Lake are the areas of greatest concern. Kaw Lake is at 86 percent flood pool and Keystone Lake is at 47 percent flood pool.

Tulsa District Corps of Engineers has declared an emergency to allow for emergency operations support including Levee assessments, flood prevention/response, and technical assistance under Public Law 84-99.

USACE has provided sandbags to two jurisdictions since last week and have deployed one pump team to Wagoner and a sand bag machine to Sand Springs. They will be filling sandbags through the weekend to prepare for additional sandbag requests.

The National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service reports the North Folk of the Red River is now in Major Flood Stage at 20.43 feet. Water lines crossing the river have washed out, impacting more than 1,800 water meters in Beckham, Kiowa, and Washita counties. Pittsburg and Okmulgee counties are providing water buffaloes with potable water to the impacted communities.

American Red Cross has distributed 574 bulk supply items, 666 snacks, and 52 meals since April 30. They have also opened 75 cases with storm-impacted families.

A shelter opened in Aline in Alfalfa County has now closed.

Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is providing chainsaw teams and debris removal assistance in Kay County.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports the following highways are closed due to flooding as of 4 p.m.:

• Beckham County - The I-40 southern service road (old 66) at MM19 is closed due to road damage
• Cherokee County - SH-80 is closed four miles west of Hulbert near Fort Gibson Lake
• Delaware County - SH-127 is closed near Jay just west of US-59 due to a damaged drainage structure
• Grant County - US-81 is closed between Pond Creek and Medford
• Johnston County - SH-48A is closed at the SH-48 junction in Coleman; SH-48A is closed two miles north of Milburn.
• Kay County - US-77 is closed south of Tonkawa between US-60 and SH-15; SH-156 is closed at the Salt Fork River south of US-60.
• Love County - SH-77-Scenic is closed at Lake Murray Spillway
• Woods County - S-281 north of Alva is closed between SH-11 and the Kansas state line

To check current road conditions in Oklahoma, visit www.okroads.org.

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management continues to ask residents impacted by the April 30 storms to report damages to their property at damage.ok.gov or by calling (405) 496-9329. Reporting damage helps local and state emergency managers better coordinate response and recovery efforts. Residents can report damage to homes, businesses or agriculture through the online survey.

When disaster strikes, the best way to support survivors of emergencies or disasters in Oklahoma is with cash donations to reputable voluntary organizations. Cash donations allow relief organizations or survivors to purchase what they need, when and where they need it. Buying supplies locally helps the local community recover by helping local businesses pay salaries and by keeping tax revenues in the community.

Other donated items are not needed or requested by local officials at this time. Do not send unsolicited donations of used clothing, miscellaneous items or perishable foods, which must be sorted, warehoused, transported and distributed. This requires more efforts and staffing to manage those resources and takes away from recovery efforts.

Attorney General Mike Hunter today announced the state’s price gouging statute is in effect for the 66 counties named in the governor’s state of emergency declaration. The Emergency Price Stabilization Act prohibits an increase of more than 10% for the price of goods and services after a declared emergency. The statute triggers automatically after the governor issues a state of emergency. The law allows the attorney general to pursue charges against individuals or businesses that engage in price gouging.

For more information or to report a complaint, individuals can contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit by phone at (405) 521-2029, or email at consumerprotection@oag.ok.gov.

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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