More than 139,000 Oklahomans are still without power after severe weather downed trees and power lines late Saturday into Sunday. Some residents are not expected to have power restored until the weekend.
The severe storms produced winds that exceeded 95 mph in the hardest hit areas of the state, including the Tulsa area. One tornado was confirmed to have touched down in the Oologah area early Sunday morning. The most significant damage, however, was caused by straight-line winds.
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The state medical examiner confirmed two fatalities as a result of the storms — one in Creek County and one in McCurtain County.
100 mph winds in Oklahoma rare
While Oklahoma has a reputation for severe weather, the widespread nature of the winds and the damage they caused has taken many by surprise.
“We have never issued a warning for 100 mph winds, Tulsa meteorologist Steve Piltz told the Tulsa World. “That was a first.”
Heat advisory issued for much of Oklahoma
As residents across Oklahoma were dealing with power outages Tuesday, they also were dealing with excessive heat.
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The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of the state, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Heat indices were expected to reach well past 100 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday.
The weather service encouraged residents to practice heat safety while the temperatures remained high by:
- Never leaving kids or pets unattended in vehicles. LOOK before you LOCK.
- Staying hydrated and taking breaks in the shade as often as possible.
- Checking on older adults, and those who are sick or without air conditioning.
- Limiting strenuous outdoor activities, finding shade and staying hydrated.
— Ryan Sharp
Number of power outages in Oklahoma remains high
Public Service Company of Oklahoma reported outages for 124,000 customers as of Tuesday afternoon, while Oklahoma Gas and Electric reported 9,813 outages.
Crews have been working since the storm to restore power, with more than 2,200 OG&E personnel deployed.
While there have been damages to buildings, and vehicles OG&E has encouraged customers to check the outage map for estimated restoration times. As of their most recent update, 82% of customers who experienced an outage have had their power restored, with full restoration of services expected by Thursday.
More:Keep track of power outages in Oklahoma
Emergency declaration signed after acting governor notified
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After a wind storm swept through the state and knocked out power for over 200,000 utility customers, Oklahomans began asking why the governor had not issued a state of emergency.
The short answer is this: He’s not in Oklahoma.
Gov. Kevin Stitt is part of a delegation who traveled to this week’s Paris Air Show, a semi-annual event that includes an aviation and aerospace trade show.
When Stitt left Oklahoma’s borders, the powers of his office fell upon Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, including the authority to issue emergency declarations. There’s one problem, though. Pinnell is also out of state. His communications coordinator confirmed Tuesday morning that Pinnell is not acting governor because he is at a previously scheduled work conference.
According to the Oklahoma Constitution, if both Stitt and Pinnell are absent from the state, the duties of governor fall upon the president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. In that case, the acting governor is Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City.
Stitt, on Tuesday afternoon, asked Treat to sign an emergency declaration for the state. Treat did so after being notified he was acting governor by Stitt’s office around 1 p.m. Tuesday.
— Dale Denwalt
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
