Residents and business owners who have uninsured ice-storm damages are urged to call the toll-free Oklahoma Damage Assessment Hotline at (866) 560-7584.

Operators will be on hand to take the calls between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.

The Oklahoma Damage Assessment Hotline is needed to gather preliminary information that will strengthen the state's application for federal disaster assistance for individuals and business owners. The damage reports will identify where damage assessment teams need to go.

Callers will be asked to provide their names, addresses of damaged property and the type of damage sustained. They will also be asked if they sustained financial loss because their business or place of employment was closed due to the storm.

Additionally, joint teams of FEMA, state and local officials will begin assessing infrastructure damage delivered by the ice storm. The preliminary damage assessments are needed to support a request for federal public assistance for cities town and counties.

The teams will be looking at roads, bridges and public facilities damaged by the storm, as well as the costs associated with debris removal.

Price gouging investigated

The Attorney General's Office has received nine calls so

"When people call and report, we look into it to try to determine if there is any gouging going on," said Charlie Price, a spokesman for Attorney General Drew Edmondson.

Among the calls to the Attorney General's Office, three were about motels, two were about gas stations, while one call each has come in about propane, generator, chainsaw and ice prices.

Edmondson's consumer protection division can be reached at (405) 521-2029.

"They can also call local police departments and sheriff offices," Price said.

Unemployment checks delayed

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission said Wednesday that a power outage at its administrative offices has temporarily interrupted the agency's ability to take new and weekly claims for unemployment insurance benefits.

The outage will also delay unemployment benefit checks that were due to be issued this week.

Staff members are working to implement backup systems and restore all services as soon as possible, OESC officials said.

Blood supply low

Winter weather is delivering a blow to the state's blood reserves this week. So far, expected collections have been depleted by about one-third, the Oklahoma Blood Institute estimates.

OBI and American Red Cross are calling all blood donors to donate as soon as it is possible for them to travel safely to a blood center or community blood drive.

OBI's Tulsa center is closed because of a power outage, but both American Red Cross locations are open: 11th Street and U.S. 169 and 7158 S. Memorial Drive.

The American Red Cross has also scheduled a series of special blood drives.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday the Red Cross will be collecting blood at Asbury United Methodist Church, 6767 S. Mingo Drive.

Two drives are scheduled for Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Woodland Hills Mall center court, and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cherokee Casino.

Weather radio out

The National Weather Service says its weather radios will not work in the Tulsa area because of power outages.

Nicole McGavock, Tulsa weather service meteorologist, said the transmitter for area weather radios is in the Coweta area and has been without power since Sunday evening or Monday morning.

All area weather radios are controlled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the weather service.

"There's not much we can do at this point because we're waiting on the phone companies and power companies," she said.

Some areas of Tulsa may receive reports from the Bartlesville transmitter, she said. However, those wanting area weather reports can call the weather service at 838-7838 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. or during severe weather, or visit online at www.weather.gov/tulsa .

Texas-sized generosity

Texas Roadhouse restaurant, 11111 E. 71st St., provided free meals to the Tulsa Emergency Operations Center and the American Red Cross shelter at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Wednesday.

The restaurant took about 150 lunches to workers at the emergency operations center and about 120 dinners to the shelter.

Day Center needs clothes

Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless needs stocking caps, gloves, coats and men's pants.

A spokesman said the ice storm has increased need and prevented delivery of donations.

If you would like to help, the location is 415 W. Archer St.

Food bank donations needed

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma needs donations of food, according to Cindy Stevens, director of public relations.

"When the electricity comes on and people have thrown out all their food, we are going to have an influx of agencies to serve," she said."

Food donations can be taken to 1304 N. Kenosha Ave. Monetary donations may be made online at www.cfbeo.org.

Tribes respond

Area American Indian tribes are scrambling to deliver fill-in services to tribal members hardest hit by the ice.

The storm kicked off the Osage Nation's new emergency response plan. Osage Nation officials said the first phases of their plan included a day shelter at 220 E. 15th St. in Paw- huska.

"Power to practically the whole reservation went down," said Osage Chief Jim Gray.

The Osages have delivered hot meals, blankets, water and in some cases, groceries. Firewood has also been a popular request from tribal members.

Other tribes, like the Muscogee (Creek) Nation have opened up temporary shelters at area community centers in Sapulpa, Twin Hills, Tulsa and Bristow, tribal officials said.

The turnout has been moderate at the Tulsa Creek Indian Community at 8611 S. Union. The tribe has been offering hot meals and cots at the community centers for the third day running.

Cherokee Nation sustained less direct damage from the storm, but indicated that it had been providing water, blankets for two days since the ice hit

Seneca-Cayuga Chief Paul Spicer said the tribe has been lending out generators to tribal members for use during the storm. The Senecas also opened up their Miami fire station building during the emergency which left Ottawa County residents without electricity, including Spicer.

I-40 crash victims identified

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Authorities on Wednesday released the names of four people killed in a fiery, multi-car pileup along Interstate 40 during the weekend's ice storm.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said those killed were Rick Woodward, 50, of Ada; Sandra Woodward, 49, of Ada; Henry Pryor, 50, of Camden, Ark.; and Tera Roark, 24, of Yukon.

Four others were injured in the crash, which involved 10 separate vehicles. The accident happened about 6:19 p.m. Sunday in the eastbound lanes of I-40 near Okemah.

The patrol said freezing rain and the icy roadway contributed to the crash.

Fire engulfs Tulsa home

Fire severely damaged a southeast Tulsa home Wednesday night, possibly started when a generator shorted out wiring in the house, firefighters said.

Around 6:30 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a single-story ranch-style house in the 3100 block of East 42nd Street.

When crews arrived, they found the house engulfed in flames, said Capt. Sally McGrew of the Tulsa Fire Department.

Firefighters began battling the fire defensively, knocking down the flames outside before proceeding inside. They had the blaze under control in 15 to 20 minutes, McGrew said.

The homeowner and his dog were able to escape unharmed, but the house received extensive fire damage, she said.

The man was hooking up an electrical generator at the time, and wiring in the home may have shorted out, starting the blaze, firefighters said.

The exact cause of the fire was under investigation Wednesday night.