Many power lines remain down as Oklahoma deals with winter threats [OK Ice Storm]

NewsOK ^ | Friday, January 29, 2010 | Staff Reports

[Star Traveler]

Many power lines remain down as Oklahoma deals with winter threats

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: January 29, 2010

More than 140,000 homes and businesses are starting the day without power this morning, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports.

Snow is falling across the metro area this morning, which could provide some traction for those driving or walking across a treacherous layer of ice that formed on roadways overnight.

While power has been restored to many customers in the Oklahoma City area this morning, in other parts of the state restoration continues and could be hampered.

Icy conditions and a forecast of high wind and snow today could slow efforts or bring down more lines.

There are 141,941 customers without electric service due to the storm this morning, said Michelann Ooten, state emergency management spokeswoman.

"Certainly ice and wind and snow will affect the restorations. We know the power service companies have all brought in out of state crews in addition to using all crews from inside the state for restoration," Ooten said.

"We know they're working hard and as fast as possible but safety has to be a concern for them as well.

While many people are staying at home today due to closings, walking could be hazardous outside.

"Truly a most dangerous trip today will be from the porch to the car or the mail box or the newspaper. We urge extreme care if you must venture outdoors. With the freezing drizzle, snow forecast this will be another day to stay safe at home with family," Ooten said.

Sand truck overturns

In Sand Springs, a city truck used to spread sand in slick spots hit a slick spot and overturned Friday morning. Assistant police chief Mike Carter said the driver was not hurt. The truck overturned on ice about 5 a.m. in the 800 block of Industrial Avenue.

Outages include the following.

• OG&E reports 11,600 customers including 1,526 customers in Ada and 1,936 in Holdenville still without service.
  
  
• PSO reports 47,723 customers out including 12,033 in Chickasha and 21,744 in Lawton still without power.
  
  
• The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority reports 26,606 customers without power including 9,759 in Altus and another 8,942 customers in Duncan.
  
  
• There are 2,744 power outages in Purcell this morning, Ooten reports.

[Star Traveler]

That could be about a quarter of a million people without power -- represented by the 141,000 accounts that don't have power...

In the December 2007 Ice Storm that hit Oklahoma (the worst in the state's history) they had almost one million Oklahomans without power, some for two or more weeks.

[Star Traveler]

Previous FReeper articles on the current Oklahoma Ice Storm, which is what is moving that way, over to the East...

Ice Storm Likely Across Oklahoma

Less Than 24 Hours Until Winter Storm Arrives In NE Oklahoma

Henry declares state of emergency in anticipation of storm [Oklahoma Governor]

Winter Storm Update [Tulsa, Oklahoma]

Tulsa activates Emergency Operations Center as winter storm intensifies [Oklahoma]

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A good link for detailed weather forecast information in this area, updated all the time (given by FReeper "T-Bird45")...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/media/tsa/briefing/player.html

[... When it says there is no briefing, it means that they are preparing another one right at that time and it will be out shortly. They keep updating it all the time. ]

[sinanju]

Brutal. Here in NVa I cannot imagine being without power for weeks in the teeth of winter. Ice storms are the absolute worst.

Not to worry however, like the Midwestern ice storms and the Georgia floods of last year, the MSM is going to make sure this news stays off page A1. Like homelessness, natural disasters don’t exist while The One is in command.

[Star Traveler]

The ice acumulations in Tulsa seem to be less than the high amounts that were possible. The conditions were always shifting to the north and then to the south, and it was hard to predict ahead of time.

I would say that there is anywhere from 1/4 of an inch to maybe almost 1/2 an inch in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. Other parts of the state probably did get more than that, though.

It has transitioned, finally, to sleet, instead of freezing rain here, as it was for most of the late afternoon and evening. And that’s good news.

Afterwards (according to the midnight report for that weather service link up above), there is a band of snow coming this way (this afternoon, according to what I heard) and it’s on the tail end of the storm. Last night they said it was a possible 6-8 inches of snow on the way. I haven’t seen today’s report yet, though.

[Sybeck1]

Moving here into N. Mississippi as I type. Wife called saying the power lines are starting to sag at home.

[Star Traveler]

Winter Storm Warning continues as storm shifts to snow

By Staff and Wire Reports
Published: 1/29/2010  5:20 AM
Last Modified: 1/29/2010  9:56 AM

A winter storm warning is in effect for Tulsa County until midnight tonight.

However, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett said at a press conference Friday that because of diminishing weather concerns, the Emergency Operations Center was to be closed at 9 a.m.

"If conditions do worsen, we will re-open and re-activate," Bartlett said. "We are ready if things change."

Other counties under the warning include Adair, Benton, Cherokee, Craig, Crawford, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah and Wagoner.

Bartlett said EMSA received 22 calls Thursday night with 18 transports, with many calls related to people slipping and falling on the ice.

A total of seven motor vehicle crashes were reported Thursday night, Bartlett said.

American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma spokeswoman Andrea Chancellor said the company will still have resources available in Tulsa should the city require them, but that they will concentrate more resources in some of the areas that had more storm damage in western Oklahoma.

Friday morning temperatures in Tulsa are expected to stay in the mid 20s to lower 30s with sleet, snow and freezing rain expected.

The National Weather Service is predicting the mixture to change to all snow in the afternoon with between two to four inches of accumulation expected in the Tulsa area.

Tonight, there will be a 40 percent chance of snow in the Tulsa metropolitan area, mainly before midnight. The low temperature is expected to be about 19 degrees in Tulsa.

The high temperature is expected to be near 30 degrees in Tulsa on Saturday with no mention of precipitation in the official forecast.

The weather service recorded 0.33 inches of rain and 0.6 inches of snow Thursday in Tulsa.

For more information on Oklahoma road conditions, call 888-425-2385 or visit tulsaworld.com/odot.

The storm that toppled power lines, closed major highways and buried parts of the southern Plains in heavy ice and snow began moving into the South early Friday, leaving tens of thousands of people in the dark — possibly for several more days.

Winter storm warnings were in effect from New Mexico to North Carolina, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe declared a state of emergency. The storm threatened to dump up to a foot of snow across the region after leaving 13 inches in the northern Texas Panhandle, where nearly all of Interstate 40 from the Texas-Oklahoma line to New Mexico was closed.

Heavy ice brought down electrical lines and trees limbs, leaving nearly 142,000 homes and businesses in Oklahoma without power Friday, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

"In some places, as far you can see there are hundreds of utility poles on the ground," said Chancellor. She said it could be five days before electricity is restored to all customers.

More than two dozen flights were canceled Friday morning at Oklahoma City's main airport. The snow, sleet and freezing rain were expected to crawl east through Friday. In Arkansas, as much as a foot of snow could fall near the Missouri border, northern parts of central Tennessee could see up to 8 inches and western North Carolina could get hit with a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

More snow also was expected in Texas and Oklahoma, where dozens of shelters were opened for those who needed a warm place to stay, including First United Methodist Church in Hobart, about 120 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. Pastor Kyle Clark said downed trees and utility poles littered the slick roadways and most of the town of about 4,000 residents had no electricity.

"We've got gas heat and we are illuminating the place with candles," Clark said late Thursday.

Farther southwest in Altus, home to about 7,000 residences and businesses, power was out except at the hospital and other emergency operations with generators, said emergency management director Lloyd Colston.

More than two dozen flights were canceled Friday morning at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City following the cancellation of more than 100 flights Thursday due to concerns about ice buildup on planes, according to the airport's Web site. Flights were also canceled Thursday in Tulsa and in Texas out of Lubbock, Amarillo and Wichita Falls, officials said.

The Texas Department of Transportation closed I-40 east and west of Amarillo on Friday and a few other major roadways. Downed power lines and icy, dangerous road conditions also temporarily closed a 50-mile stretch of I-44 southwest of Oklahoma City and parts of I-40 in far western Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico on Thursday.

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

Moving here into N. Mississippi as I type. Wife called saying the power lines are starting to sag at home.

Yep... I know that the weather people have been watching this storm since it was out in the Pacific Ocean. And it's been moving across the entire country... hoo-boy!

And an update for Tulsa... it looks like it's snowing right now, but it's a sort of cross between snow pellets and snow. It doesn't look like sleet at this point.

[SVTCobra03]

We have power here in Norman but a 16-inch water line broke.

[The Great RJ]

How did the windmills, on which we are to depend for our electric power, fare during this storm??

[Star Traveler]

There are still areas of Oklahoma which are going to get significant ice build-ups. Here's an article from a paper down in Poteau, Oklahoma.

Here in Tulsa, the precipitation has transitioned fully over to snow now, which means that the areas south of us (like this little place mentioned) is going to be getting more ice and freezing rain....

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Ice storm 2010 expected

Friday, 29 January 2010
By Laura Young
Managing Editor

The National Weather Service of Tulsa issued a Winter Storm Warning Thursday afternoon which is in effect until 9 p.m. tonight.

The warning includes LeFlore, Latimer and Pushmataha counties in this immediate area.

Freezing rain, sleet and snow are expected, according to NWS.

Rain changing to sleet and finally snow is likely this afternoon with some accumulating snow likely. Up to one-quarter inch of ice accumulation and in inch or two of sleet and snow with gusty winds is possible.

Travel will become very hazardous or impossible and power outages are likely in some areas.

The NWS forecast for today includes freezing rain expected before noon, then rain, snow and sleet. The high will be near 32 degrees. Winds will be breezy with an east northeast wind between 17 and 20 mph becoming light. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch are possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.

A 40 percent chance of snow is forecast for Friday evening before midnight. Skies will be cloudy with a low around 27 degrees. Winds will be north northwest between 9 and 13 mph.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health offers the following safety and health precautions related to cold weather and loss of power.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Slips and Falls: Every-one, 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.

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

Driving tips

Before you leave:

Cold weather starts require a healthy battery. If yours is more than two years old, have it checked.

Make sure your tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread.

Top off all fluids under the hood. Check belts and hoses.

Stock your trunk with jumper cables, an ice scraper and snow brush, first aid kit, paper towels, working flashlight, snacks, simple tools (pliers, crescent wrench, screwdrivers, etc.), extra warm clothing and blankets.

Carry a cell phone and charger cord with you in the vehicle.

For added traction in a rear-wheel car or pickup, place weighty objects such as cinder blocks or bags of sand in the trunk or truck bed.

It will take you longer to reach your destination. Allow extra time.

Dress for the weather in layers.

Clear ice and snow from all windows.

Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.

As you drive:

Remember that bridges and overpasses will ice up first.

Beware of “black ice” – ice on asphalt pavement you cannot see.

Allow extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Anticipate the flow of traffic and time your movement through intersections equipped with traffic signals so as to minimize the use of your brakes.

Avoid sudden steering movements, sudden braking and sudden accelerating. These actions will throw your vehicle into a skid on slick pavement.

If you do begin to skid, don’t panic, take your foot off the brake or gas pedal and steer the vehicle in the direction you want to go.

Traction is greatest just before your wheels start to spin.

• All vehicles take about the same distance to stop, whether 4-wheel drive or not.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on slippery surfaces.
• Buckle up, limit distractions inside the vehicle and expect the unexpected.

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

How did the windmills, on which we are to depend for our electric power, fare during this storm??

I haven't seen a thing reported about them or anyone saying a thing about them. It would be interesting to find out, though.

And..., the storm hasn't left the state yet... :-) ... we're still "getting it" here...

[Hoosier Catholic Momma]

Well, to my oldest daughter’s chagrin, schools in Fort Smith are open today (I only saw one school in F.S. closed, but it is a small private school that we play basketball against in the travelling league). We received rain and that’s about it. Some of the schools in outlying areas (including the two schools the oldest daughter’s team is supposed to play tomorrow) are closed, such as Cedarville, Moutainburg, and Lavaca. I know that they did get hit harder up north and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville has no classes today.

It does look like we are going to get some snow today, if the weather is accurate. How much remains a mystery—even if we do, it’s supposed to ‘warm up’ to almost 40 on Sunday and Monday so it wouldn’t last long.

[Star Traveler]

Gosh that sounds like fun... :-)

A lot of water pouring out on the ground and freezing... ooops... hoo-boy!

[Star Traveler]

On the weather service link, they reported in their latest report that Tulsa is just above the snow line on the map (snow to the north and freezing rain/sleet to the south).

And in the I-44 & S. Peoria area, it is snowing and has been for about an hour.

The forecast, at that last briefing (according to the map shown) is about 5 inches of snow for the Tulsa area.

They’ve got another briefing coming out this afternoon with more updates.

Yesterday that storm system from the West and Mexico had broken up into about three parts, and a dry band of air had rushed into Oklahoma, but now the system has reconsolidated and is one system again, and will swing down into Texas and then curve up slightly to the East Northeast direction, mostly going east though (it looked like to me.

Anyway, we’ve got a lot more snow coming this way in Tulsa, but perhaps not any more freezing rain and ice accumulations. It looks like about 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch of ice around in my immediate area. It could be different in other areas of the metropolitan area of Tulsa.

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

Well, to my oldest daughter’s chagrin, schools in Fort Smith are open today (I only saw one school in F.S. closed, but it is a small private school that we play basketball against in the travelling league).

If you look at that comprehensive weather briefing in Post #2, you'll get some information that carries over into your area.

If the briefing isn't up at the time you look, it means they've got another one that they're working on and it will be up in about 15 minutes to 1/2 an hour.

[Hoosier Catholic Momma]

I just received word a bit ago that the kids’ school is letting out at 1 today and that the basketball games scheduled for tomorrow are cancelled. My husband has decided to come home early too. I didn’t ask but I suspect a bunch of people at the plant were MIA today.

It’s starting to ice up out there. My mailbox was hard to open and I can’t get the back gate to open up to take the trash out to the big garbage can. Hopefully everyone stays safe. We have an EMS station about a block from our house—I’m sure we’ll hear the ambulances rolling a lot tonight if the roads get bad!

[Star Traveler]

Two inches of ice covering a truck driver's truck, according to the report -- in Western Oklahoma. Hoo-boy! That's a lot of ice out there... :-)

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Heavy snow, ice bury southern Plains, cut power

January 29, 2010 12:16 EST

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A winter storm is moving into the South today, after leaving parts of the southern Plains covered in heavy ice and snow.

Thousands of people are dealing with power outages, while portions of major highways have been shut down. The storm covered the northern Texas Panhandle in 13 inches of snow and authorities closed much of Interstate 40 from New Mexico to the Texas-Oklahoma line.

One truck driver stranded in western Oklahoma estimated there was 3 1/2 inches of ice on the road and two inches covering his tractor.

The ice has brought down tree limbs and electrical lines across Oklahoma. State emergency officials more than 140,000 homes and businesses are without power.

Winter storm warnings have been posted from New Mexico to North Carolina. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has declared a state of emergency and state police are warning people trying to drive to work that they should be prepared to be stranded overnight.

[Star Traveler]

Just started an "Arkansas thread" for the ice storm...

Governor declares state of emergency in Arkansas as winter storm moves into the state

[Star Traveler]

That was the original article... :-) Here's the FReeper thread... ooops...

Governor declares state of emergency in Arkansas as winter storm moves into the state

[Hoosier Catholic Momma]

Thanks!