AEP-PSO worries about weekend’s weather

Power outages in the Tulsa metro area continue to decrease — with about 143,000 homes and businesses remaining dark Thursday night — but a looming snowfall could affect restoration efforts.

“We’re really going to hit it hard and try to make a big impact on that number,” said Preston Kissman, American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma vice president of distribution. AEP-PSO has 2,400 linemen and 2,200 tree cutters working in the Tulsa metro area.

With winter weather expected to return this weekend, crews are working as quickly as possible, Kissman said.

“If it’s just snow, it will slow us down but we can work through that,” he said. “But if it’s more ice, we’re in trouble. That could undo the progress that’s been made so far.”

The 143,000 outages in the Tulsa metro area represent slightly less than half of the local grid and is down from 246,000 at the peak.

Oklahoma Gas & Electric has 154,305 outages in the state, with the vast majority concentrated in the Oklahoma City metro area but some as close as Sapulpa, Bristow and Bixby.

Tulsa’s storm damage is worst in the northwest section of the city, Kissman said.

“That doesn’t mean it’s going to take longer to get it back,” he said. “We’re just going to devote more resources there so all four quadrants of the city can come up together.”

The goal is still to have all customers restored by the middle of next week, he said.

“Of course, the

Once priority locations such as hospitals, nursing homes and key public facilities have power, the largest blocs of customers are addressed first, Kissman said.

“We have a lot of single homes out there that will be toward the end,” he said. If homeowners see neighbors have light but they do not, there might be a problem with the actual meter, which must be fixed by a professional electrician before power can be restored, Kissman said.

Mayor Kathy Taylor, who is without power at her home and is lighting a small section with a generator, said she knows that people are frustrated.

“We’re all tired,” she said. “This is not how we are used to living our lives. But we will get through this together. We always do. We’re Tulsans.”

Tulsa’s Mohawk Water Treatment Plant had its power restored early Thursday.

“We’re bringing it up slowly so that we don’t have any water line breaks,” Public Works Department Director Charles Hardt said.

The plant was operating normally within several hours.

During the days the Mohawk plant was down, output was increased at the city’s second plant, A.B. Jewell, and residents were asked to be reasonable in their water use.

At no time was there a shortage or a water quality problem, Hardt said.

The ice storm, which hit Sunday, is blamed for about two dozen deaths statewide.

Many of the victims died in fires or from carbon monoxide poisoning while using alternative sources for heat.

Tulsa Fire Capt. Larry Bowles urged people to go to one of the 24 area American Red Cross shelters that have been established rather than trying to stay warm with candles, stoves and fireplaces.

“The continuance we’re seeing in terms of loss of life is alarming,” Bowles said. “This is not something that can happen, it’s something that is happening. People are perishing for simply not following safety procedures.”

Burglaries Wednesday night to Thursday morning were down following a rash of 70 cases since Monday.

Only 10 residential burglaries and two commercial ones were reported overnight, Police Chief Ron Palmer said.

“Apparently the criminal element of Tulsa took heed of our warning,” Palmer said, noting that more than 120 uniformed officers — double the normal number — were patrolling the darkened streets.

The number of officers deployed will be reevaluated as more homes and businesses have power restored, he said.

Brian Barber 581-8322
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com

Initial numbers

A preliminary assessment by city of Tulsa staff shows that 15,501 residences and commercial structures had been impacted by the ice storm:

4 structures were destroyed.

661 sustained severe damage.

6,613 sustained minor damage.

7,897 were affected by debris.

326 were inaccessible because of debris.

Outages

Customers without power as of Thursday night:

Tulsa metro (includes Broken Arrow, Sand Springs and Owasso): 143,000

Oklahoma City metro: 140,691

Bartlesville: 750 (includes Nowata, Oologah and Ramona)

Bixby: 829

Bristow: 2,899

Chouteau: 1,120

Grove: 134

Sapulpa: 5,435

Vinita: 2,940 (includes Chelsea)

Craig, Delaware, Mayes and Ottawa counties: 6,635

Source: Utilities, Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

Henry: Storm may be costliest

This week’s ice storm will likely prove to be the most expensive natural disaster in Oklahoma history, Gov. Brad Henry said Thursday.

In the end, the costs will top $200 million, he said.

“The damage is just so much more widespread than we’ve ever seen before,” Henry said during a visit to Tulsa.