People with little will have more trouble weathering the aftermath, counselors say.

For most people, experts said, a few days without electricity will amount to a mere inconvenience, but it will be more stressful mentally, physically and financially on those who are poor or elderly.

Those with money and social networks can travel and stay with friends or family members who have electricity, or they can book hotel rooms. They can stock up on nonrefrigerated food, batteries and bottled water. They can buy generators and heaters. They might get paid even if their businesses are closed.

People with fewer resources, however, might not have money for supplies, and if their workplaces are out of power, they might not make money they had been counting on, said Maureen Sullivan, a clinical psychologist who heads Oklahoma State University's psychology department.

On top of the expenses wrought by the ice storm, "it's an expensive time of year," Sullivan said. Besides buying Christmas presents, people throw and attend parties, and they travel. Extra spending on supplies to cope with winter weather could mean more stress and a longer time to recover financially.

Kurt VanMatre, a licensed professional counselor at Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital, said the holiday season adds another stressor: "We all just lost about a week of time that we were probably counting on to get Christmas shopping done."

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"As this goes on for a few days, we start to miss life as it once was," he said.

"I would suspect the whole community's a little depressed. It's a tough situation."

Sullivan said some people naturally accept difficult situations and start to problem-solve. Others have a hard time thinking of solutions when they still are taken aback by the disaster.

The good news with storms is that communities usually are forewarned, Sullivan said. She suggested that people recognize that the ice storm is over, which enables electrical repairs to be made faster. The official state of emergency means more resources will be available to residents.

Social support -- such as talking with a friend or gathering around a fireplace and playing games -- "is one of the most commonly used coping strategies . . . and it's quite effective," she said.

Some people, however, have circumstances that make the situation difficult. They might not have stocked up on enough medicine, or they might need power to breathe oxygen from a tank or use other machines to stay healthy, Sullivan said.

Dave Neal, a political science professor at OSU who is the director of its Center for the Study of Disasters and Extreme Events, suggested checking on elderly acquaintances, parents and grandparents to make sure that they are OK, they know the weather forecast and they know what shelters are available.

Snow is forecast for Friday. If that happens, Neal advised, people should shovel the driveways of their elderly neighbors, who might overexert themselves.

One thing he knows: "Disasters bring the best out of people."

Also, "most of us are fairly resilient," he said. " Most of us can see this is something that will last for a couple of days, and we can cope."

April Marciszewski 581-8475
april.marciszewski@tulsaworld.com