Oklahoma News Report

Tourist attractions like the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore depend on state funding to operate. The museum draws thousands of visitors to the state. Tourists visiting the museum also spend lots of money shopping, eating and staying in hotels in the Claremore area.

Because of state funding cuts, the attractions like the Will Rogers Museum have a lot less money to pay their bills. It’s a dilemma that has the attractions wondering how to cope. Do they cut hours? Close some days? If they do, how will it affect the community that depends on the tourists they attract?

Heavy ice has downed powerlines over a area of the state. The most significant damage in in the western counties. Among the areas hardest hit, Chickasha and communities in Southwest Oklahoma.

This PSO crew is hoping to avert a loss of power to homes in Tulsa. The weight of the ice on the power lines has snapped the braces supporting the lines. The crews are replacing the braces to keep the lines up and power on.

Ice coating trees in the Tulsa area is thicker around than my index finger. It’s causing tree limbs to bend down into power lines. When tree limbs snap from the weight of the ice it they frequently pull down power lines as well.

If you see power lines that are down, do not go near them. Instead, call your power company to report the problem. Also call if power is out in your area. Crews will be working around the clock to restore power to areas that have been affected by the storm. PSO tells OETA the only time its crews will stop working is when conditions make it unsafe to continue.

POWER OUTAGES as of Noon Friday January 29th

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports 179,134 homes and businesses are without electric service due to the storm, which includes the following.

PSO reports 69,716 customers are without power in:

Chickasha 11,782

Chouteau 378

Clinton 1,271

Duncan 5,182

Elk City 210

Grove 1,779

Hobart 6,046

Lawton 38,644

Okmulgee 623

Tipton 3,773

Tulsa 12

Vinita 10

Weatherford 5

The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority reports 26,606 customers without power in:

Altus 9,759
Duncan 8,942
Eldorado 283
Granite 613
Manitou 209
Olustee 316
Lexington 845
Purcell 2,774

The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reports 62,341 customers without power in:

Caddo Electric, Binger: 9,528

Cotton Electric, Walters: 14,101

Harmon Electric, Hollis: 3,300

Southwest Rural Electric, Tipton: 1,500

Kiwash Electric, Cordell: 2,000

Rural Electric, Lindsay: 7,500

Oklahoma Electric, Norman: 3,292

People’s Electric, Ada: 6,505

Canadian Valley Electric, Seminole: 11,458

Ozarks Electric, Stilwell/Fayetteville: 163

Northfork Electric, Sayre: 200

Cimarron Electric, Kingfisher: 50

East Central OK Electric, Okmulgee: 1,000

Lake Region Electric, Hulbert: 469

Verdigris Valley Electric, Collinsville: 754

Northeast OK Electric, Vinita: 429

Central Rural Electric, Stillwater: 92

Cookson Hills Electric, Stigler/Sallisaw: 0

Kiamichi Electric, Wilburton: 0

OG&E reports 20,471 customers (including 1,987 in Holdenville, 1,915 in Norman and 1,881 in Ada) are without service.

Additionally, today, OG&E will open customer walk-up centers in Ada, Seminole and Pauls Valley, giving customers affected by the ice storm a place to report their power outage and learn about the power restoration process directly from employees of OG&E.

Once the walk-up centers are established, today around noon, they will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for as long as they needed.

Ada: Apple Market, 220 E. 13th Street
Seminole: Homeland Store, 1701 N. Milt Phillips Ave.
Pauls Valley: Homeland Store, 505 S. Chickasaw Avenue

OG&E communities south and east of the Oklahoma City metro area were hardest-hit by the ice storm, causing outages for as many as 25,000 customers overnight Thursday into Friday. Power lines and tree limbs are heavily laden with ice over a wide area, including metro OKC, and OG&E is operating under its emergency storm plan with all of its resources at work and assistance from out-of-state crews.

With a dangerous winter storm expected to descend on Oklahoma Thursday many people are heeding warnings to get prepared.
Grocery stores and home improvement stores are busy with people snatching up essentials for the storm which could cause major power outages.
Items such as ice melt, batteries and flash lights are selling quickly. Generators are especially hard to get right now.
Officials are encouraging people to prepare their homes and cars before the storm hits.

The State Department of Health website offers some great tips for dealing with the winter weather we’re about to get this week:

Water Safety

If you are using water that you think might not be safe to drink or prepare food, you should attempt to vigorously boil the water for at least one minute to prevent potential waterborne illnesses. Safe water would include store-bought bottled water, or uninterrupted city water. EPA Fact Sheet on Emergency Disinfecting of Water: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/pdfs/fs_emergency-disinfection-drinkingwater-2006.pdf

Don’t skate, slide, or sled on frozen ponds, creeks, rivers, or lakes. Although the water appears to be frozen, it may not be solid enough to support the weight of a person. Temperatures in Oklahoma are never cold enough to completely freeze recreational water.

Food Safety

Power outages present problems with food safety as well as with heating. If people at home or those in food establishments have had a loss of power for more than four hours, take the following precautions with refrigerated food products:
· Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
· Discard any potentially hazardous foods such as meats, eggs, dairy products and leftovers that may have exceeded 41 F. When in doubt, throw it out.
· Frozen foods in a freezer can normally be kept up to 48 hours without power. Again, the 41 F rule applies. A frozen product that has thawed should not be refrozen—it should be used immediately or disposed of. Thawed foods that have not reached 41 F can be cooked and consumed.

Keeping Food Safe After A Power Outage: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/facts.asp

Eat and Drink Wisely & Avoid Alcohol

Eating high-energy, well-balanced meals will help you stay warmer. Do not drink alcoholic beverages – they cause your body to lose heat more rapidly. Instead, drink warm, sweet beverages such as hot chocolate or sweetened coffee or tea to help maintain your body temperature. If you have any dietary restrictions, ask your doctor. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Heating Safety

When temperatures fall and power goes out, the possibility of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning rises as people try to stay warm. Invisible, odorless and tasteless, CO is a highly poisonous gas produced by the burning of fuel such as gasoline, natural gas, kerosene, charcoal or wood. Unvented or faulty gas and kerosene appliances have the greatest potential to produce dangerous levels of CO in a home. Smoldering or poorly vented fireplaces, slow-burning fuels such as charcoal and vehicle exhausts also are potential indoor hazards. Take these precautions:

· Look at the color of the flame. A hot blue flame produces less CO and more heat than a flickering yellow flame. If you see yellow flames in your furnace or stove burner, it should be adjusted so that the flame is blue.
· Don’t use an unvented gas or kerosene heater in closed spaces, especially sleeping areas.
· Don’t use gas appliances such as an oven, range or clothes dryer to heat your home.
· Don’t burn charcoal inside a house, garage, vehicle or tent for heating or cooking, even in a fireplace.
· Look for CO exposure symptoms including headache, dizziness, weakness, sleepiness, nausea and vomiting that can progress to disorientation, coma, convulsions and death.
· If you suspect CO poisoning, open doors and windows, turn off gas appliances, and go outside for fresh air. Call 9-1-1 emergency medical services in severe cases.
· To prevent residential fires, make sure that heaters, stoves, and fireplaces are at least three feet from anything that burns. Use screens in front of fireplaces, and do not leave children alone with space heaters. Never leave candles burning when you are not at home or while you are sleeping. If a heater uses fuel like propane or kerosene, use only that kind of fuel and add more fuel only when the heater is cool. Store all fuels outside in closed metal containers.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/cofacts.asp

Sewage Issues

Because of power outages in city utilities, be aware of the potential for sewage to back up into your home. If you do experience sewage problems remember that exposure to raw sewage can cause several infectious diseases. Try to avoid direct contact with sewage, and practice good hand washing and personal hygiene following contact.

Respiratory Diseases

Respiratory disease can be a significant problem when people stay together in crowded conditions. To help prevent respiratory disease, be sure to cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and use good personal hygiene and thorough hand-washing practices to further reduce risk of transmission.

Health Habits For Prevention: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/disasterrecovery.html

Slips and Falls

Everyone, especially the elderly, should avoid walking on ice. A short trip to the mailbox or to retrieve the paper could result in a longer trip to the hospital if you slip and fall. In Oklahoma, the ice is often nearly invisible (black ice) so caution should be taken after precipitation.

Preventing Falls: http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/index.html

Extreme Cold Exposure

Prolonged exposure to the cold can cause frostbite, hypothermia, or in extreme cases, death. Infants and the elderly are most susceptible to extreme cold. Frostbite occurs when the skin becomes cold enough to actually freeze. A loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the nose are symptoms of frostbite. Hypothermia (low body temperature) can occur during longer periods of exposure when the body temperature drops below 95 F. A person will become disoriented, confused, and shiver uncontrollably, eventually leading to drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. In severe cases, death is possible. The following tips can help decrease the risk of cold exposure:

· Wear layered clothing outdoors for better protection from the cold. Wear a cap to prevent rapid heat loss from an uncovered head. Cover exposed skin to prevent frostbite.
· While indoors, try to keep at least one room heated to 70 F. This is especially important for the elderly and small children to prevent hypothermia.
· Sleep warm with extra blankets, a warm cap, socks and layered clothing.
· Avoid fatigue and exhaustion during cold weather. Overexertion, such as shoveling snow or pushing a car, can strain your heart.
· Carry extra clothing, blankets and high energy snacks, such as cereal or candy bars in your car for protection if car stalls. Keep the gas tank near full to prevent icing. Don’t travel alone.
· Check daily on elderly friends, relatives and neighbors who live alone.
· The elderly and very young should stay indoors as much as possible. Offer to shop for elderly friends and relatives. Just like in the summer with heat, it takes some time to get acclimated to cold weather.

Home Emergency Kit: http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html

Winter Weather Precautions: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.asp.