Tulsa Businesses Hit Hard By Power Outages Following Storm

Tens of thousands across Green Country are still without power Thursday evening, and another round of severe storms is headed this way.

PSO hopes to have everyone's power back on by Sunday. Crews are working around the clock to repair power lines knocked down during Tuesday night's storm.

At one point, PSO and OG&E reported more than 100,000 homes and businesses were in the dark.

PSO has been able to reduce that number to about 40,000, so far.

7/25/2013 Related Story: PSO Moves Up Estimate For Restoring Power To Tulsa Area Customers

The company has set up the central hub of their operations at the Tulsa Fairgrounds, where more than 1,400 workers out of nine different states have gathered to help restore power.

Many homes are without electricity, but it's also taking a toll on businesses.

Even without electricity, the gas ovens in Umberto's Pizzaria, near 21st and Harvard, are still up and running, which would be considered a good thing until you step inside.

"We don't want any customers coming in here and sweating," said manager Juan Molina.

He said, right now, the freezer, stocked full of food, is being kept alive by a small generator, but it doesn't have enough juice to keep the air conditioners going.

"Were doing to do all we can to keep our food fresh and ready," Molina said.

The restaurant is missing out on dozens of customers, like Dorothy Ouellette, and hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

"I've been eating this pizza for the last 11 years," Ouellette said. "Probably about once a week, I come over and get pizza."

7/24/2013 Related Story: Utility Trucks Flood Into Tulsa To Help Get Power Restored

PSO is working around the clock to get the power restored to places like Umberto's. While the number of customers without power has been cut in half in one day, crews are working against the threat of more rain Thursday night.

"Some people won't get electricity until Sunday. Hopefully, we won't be that far away," Molina said.

PSO has split the city into four quadrants and have called in help from states like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri.

They say, right now, they're focusing their efforts on the northwest and southwest portions of the Tulsa metro, where the most people are without power.

Molina said, until the lights are turned back on, he'll keep searching for a new generator and even consider sweating it out in the kitchen, just to get business back up and running.

"Losing this kind of business for two or three days, it hurts," Molina said.

PSO says the number of people without power could fluctuate up and down throughout the day, because they sometimes have to cut power before they can restore it.