Bitter cold hits Oklahoma
Oklahoma experienced near record cold temperatures and substantial snow fall this week, causing numerous traffic accidents and leaving many residents temporarily without power or heat. Ahead of the storm, Governor Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties in Oklahoma, the first time this has ever been done at once.
Banks and government offices were already closed for President’s Day on Monday, February 15th, but many businesses were forced to close as well.
“We decided to close Monday for the safety of our employees,” the manager of a local manufacturing company told La Semana. “If anyone were to have car trouble on the road on their way to or from work, it’s just too cold to be outside for any length of time.”
Early Tuesday morning the temperature in Tulsa plunged to -13 Fahrenheit, which although not an alltime record is certainly colder than Tulsans have experienced for many years. Meteorologists warned residents to avoid going outdoors as much as possible, calling the cold air “lifethreatening.”
PSO, along with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, asked residents to reduce their power consumption as much as possible to lower the chances the energy company would have to resort to rolling blackouts in order to keep the power grid functioning during the extreme cold.
“We still need to conserve energy because we aren’t out of the woods yet,” Stitt said during a Monday night Zoom press conference. “Please consider turning your thermostat down to 68 or cooler, and avoid using large appliances like washers and dryers or your dishwasher. It may not seem like much, but these small steps together can make a big difference.”
In addition to the strain on the power grid, concerns have arisen over the supply of natural gas, which is currently down to two thirds of normal production levels in the state.
With a second round of snow headed into the Sooner State mid-week, PSO warned consumers to prepare for outages and offered potentially life-saving safety tips.
“Due to the extremely cold temperatures, it’s imperative Tulsans practice safety measures in the event of a power outage or any rolling outages,” the company stated. “Many things can go wrong in residences if proper safety measures are not followed…before your power goes out, make sure your devices are charged and make preparations now. If power does go off, keep the warmth in your home and refrain from opening exterior doors or windows. To keep more heat in, you can place towels under doors and on windowsills. Make sure you have adequate clothing and blankets inside your home to help.”
PSO cautioned residents to only use space heaters according to manufacturers’ instructions, and to not use stoves or ovens as heating devices. During this time, it is especially important to make sure your home’s smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly with fresh batteries.
City of Tulsa crews will continue to work around the clock to treat the city’s main roads with a mixture of salt and sand and to respond to a growing number of water line breaks. Warmer temperatures should arrive by this weekend. (La Semana)