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Fallin Declares State Of Emergency, Thousands Still Without Power After Thanksgiving Ice Storm

Storm damage at a home in Piedmont after the Thanksgiving 2015 ice storm.
Mark Fox
/
National Weather Service
Storm damage at a home in Piedmont.

Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon for all 77 counties in Oklahoma after a winter storm created icy conditions and led to flooding in other parts of the state over the weekend.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, more than 53,000 Oklahoma Gas and Electric customers remained without power, and the utility estimates it could be Wednesday before power is fully restored to customers in central and northwest Oklahoma.

A majority of those outages are in Oklahoma City, but there were also several thousand customers without power in Mustang, Guthrie, Nichols Hills, El Reno, and Enid.

Fallin’s office says the executive order allows state agencies to make emergency purchases as part of their response. It's also a step to receive federal aid. The state of emergency lasts for 30 days.
Linwood Elementary School in Oklahoma City and James L. Dennis Elementary in the Putnam City school district are both closed this morning due to power outages. All other schools in those districts are open today.

Del City High School is closed due a power outage as well.

Both Mustang and Yukon Public Schools have canceled classes district-wide, and so have several smaller, outlying districts around the state.

Oklahoma City residents can start putting tree branches and limbs downed by the ice storm within 10 feet of their curb for collection next week. The first round of debris removal will start the week of December 7, and city crews will only collect tree debris.

Residents are asked to cut limbs into segments no longer than 12 feet.

Other bulk trash will still be collected according to the normal schedule, and residents should keep that separate from the tree debris, since they'll be collected by separate crews. The city also asks residents to keep the debris piles away from mailboxes, vehicles, trees, power lines, and telephone poles.

Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is helping homeowners statewide remove trees and limbs on private property. Homeowners in need can call one of three phone numbers between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays to request help, or do it online:

• (405) 443-7583
• (405) 388-6912
• (405) 415-5261

Priority will be given to the elderly, people with disabilities, people with access and functional needs and single mothers.

Credit Norman Forecast Office / National Weather Service
/
National Weather Service

There's still a slight possibility for drizzle and freezing rain through Monday, and fog and frost are possible overnight into Tuesday. 

Once that moves out of the region though, the state should see sunny skies and more seasonal temperatures - hitting the 50s in the afternoon Tuesday through Friday. Light to moderate rain may develop as a storm system approaches from the west late Saturday and into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department.

Brian Hardzinski is from Flower Mound, Texas and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He began his career at KGOU as a student intern, joining KGOU full time in 2009 as Operations and Public Service Announcement Director. He began regularly hosting Morning Edition in 2014, and became the station's first Digital News Editor in 2015-16. Brian’s work at KGOU has been honored by Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI), the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters, and local and regional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Brian enjoys competing in triathlons, distance running, playing tennis, and entertaining his rambunctious Boston Terrier, Bucky.
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