City Of Oklahoma City: City Of OKC Winter Storm Situation Update #1 – Feb. 2

Press release from the City of Oklahoma City:

02/02/2022 5:55 PM

Snow and low temperatures are affecting Oklahoma City and are expected to continue through Thursday.

This is an update on city services and partner services for Feb. 2. 2022.

Streets

City street crews, driving more than 25 trucks affixed with salt spreaders and plows, are working around the clock. Crews start plowing the snow routes when the snow gets to 2+ inches deep. City’s snow routes until conditions improve.

 Oklahoma City has 8,500 lane miles of street. Of that, 1,238 lane miles are on snow routes. A lane mile is a mile of roadway in a single driving lane. Neighborhood streets are not part of the snow routes and will not be treated. 

People are encouraged to avoid driving during hazardous conditions. If you must drive, you should have someone to call in case you are stranded. If you get stranded, try to move your car off the road so other vehicles can safely pass. 

Police

Police have stopped responding to non-injury crashes. If you are involved in a non-injury collision, simply exchange information with the other involved driver. Police will resume working non-injury crashes as soon as it is practical to do so. The police department will always respond to injury accidents. 

Solid Waste Services

Trash and recycling services scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, February 3 are being rescheduled to this Saturday, February 5.

Homelessness

All three winter overflow locations - Homeless Alliance, City Rescue and Salvation Army - will have those beds open at least through the weekend with expanded capacity. 

Courts

Municipal Court sessions have been canceled through Friday. The Court Building will stay open for business. 

Parks

All OKC golf courses, recreation centers and senior centers will be closed on Thursday. Martin Park will be open, but the Nature Center will be closed, and Will Rogers Park will be open, but the Exhibition Center will be closed. 

Protecting Your Pipes

During these winter weather events, some customers choose to drip their faucets in order to prevent pipes from freezing. If you do, here are a few tips:

Outdoor water Lines

Here are some recommendations to consider when preventing outside pipe breaks:

Will Rogers World Airport

People should contact their airline to check on the status of their flight before leaving for the airport over the next few days. 

Animal Welfare

If it is too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet, so keep your animals inside. If left outdoors, pets can freeze, become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured or killed. In addition, don’t leave pets alone in a car during cold weather, as cars can act as refrigerators that hold in the cold and cause animals to freeze to death.

EMSA

As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 2nd, EMSA has responded to 26 weather-related incidents in the Oklahoma City Area.  In the last two hours, EMSA has seen a substantial increase in motor vehicle accident calls – mainly happening on bridges and overpasses of major highways. Several of these accidents have been rollovers. EMSA encourages all residents to stay off the roadways for non-essential travel. If you must drive, give yourself extra time, limit distractions inside your vehicle, and stay alert for sudden deterioration in weather conditions. 

OGE

OG&E has mobilized 4,000 restoration and support personnel throughout its service area to respond to this week’s winter weather. They will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore any and all outages. As a reminder, If you see any downed power lines, please remain safe and stay away from them and anything they are touching. You can report downed power lines or outages by calling 800-522-6870.  To receive outage information by text, phone or email you can sign up for myOGEalerts on oge.com. You can also stay appraised of storm impacts at OGE’s new online Storm Center. 

ONG

ONG systems are currently performing well and they expect them to remain functional and reliable as this weather system moves through. We are not aware of any operational issues or supply issues that are impactful to the service delivery. Their employees are working around the clock, and we are positioning them at critical locations in preparation for any service outages our modeling may indicate. 

Winter weather tips to help you prepare for the storm: 

Keep necessities on-hand

Items for winter storms to add to your disaster kit include additional non-perishable food and water for one or two weeks, extra blankets, coats, gloves, winter hats, and water-resistant boots. Get extra medication, oxygen or other medical supplies if it's possible you'll need a refill before the storm's effects are over. 

Turn off sprinklers

Home and business owners are asked to turn off sprinkler systems when the temperature drops below freezing to keep city streets from icing over. 

Check on your neighbors

Make sure elderly family members, friends and neighbors are prepared for the storm, and check on them during and after the storm. 

Power outages
Keep your cell phone charged in case of a power outage. Residents can report power outages at www.oge.com 

Safely Use Alternative Heating Sources

Fires at home are common in the winter because of improper use of dangerous heating sources. Here are some tips from the Fire Department:

Dress for the conditions.

Dressing in layers is key, as it not only keeps you warm but allows you to adjust to changing temperatures. Proper gloves, socks and footwear are essential. Choose headwear that keeps your head and ears warm.  Ski masks can also help to warm your neck and warm the air you’re breathing. 

Energy saving tips from ONG

Oklahoma Natural Gas encourages customers to practice simple energy-saving tips and conservation efforts to manage their winter heating bills.  

·                     Keep warm, not hot 
When possible wear additional layers of clothing, consider turning down your thermostat and check your programmable settings.  

·                     Seal leaks around doors and windows 
Apply weatherstripping or caulk to seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors to stop air leaks and prevent energy loss. If that is not an option, you can also cover windows with towels, sheets or plastic to help keep the warm air in your house. 

·                      Reduce the temperature on your water heater 
Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or put it on the “warm” setting. If your home will be vacant for two days or more, set the dial to the pilot position for even more savings.  

·                     Close blinds and curtains 
This helps keep warm air inside, especially if the sun is not shining. 

·                     Change or clean filters  
A clean filter on your furnace can lower your energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Dirty filters cost more to use and overwork the equipment. 

·                     Hold off on doing chores 
Doing laundry and washing dishes can both use natural gas to heat the water and your dryer. If you can, wait until the extreme cold weather passes to complete these activities. If you cannot wait, use the cold setting where possible. 

·                     Install foam gaskets on electrical switches and outlets 
Electrical switches and outlets can account for up to 10% of your home’s energy loss. 

Additionally, remember these safety tips: 

·         Never use your stove or oven for home heating. 

·         Make sure nothing obstructs a furnace’s air intake and that vents and flues are intact and unblocked to avoid the potential of carbon monoxide poisoning.   

Winter Driving

Winter Weather Vehicle Emergency Preparedness Kit

This press release was produced by the City of Oklahoma City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.