Winter Storm Causing Power Outages In Western Oklahoma

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A powerful storm dumped snow and freezing rain on parts of western and central Oklahoma on Thursday, closing schools and state government offices, canceling flights at the state's largest airport and creating hazardous conditions for motorists.

Ice accumulations snapped electrical lines in southwestern Oklahoma, knocking out power to 100 electrical customers in Kiowa County near Hobart, said Andrea Chancellor, spokeswoman for Public Service Company of Oklahoma.

Emergency managers in the region said they expected more power outages as the storm intensified.

"With the amount of ice we're getting on the lines, probably this afternoon parts of town will be in the dark," said Hobart Police Chief Rex Brown.

Matt Lehenbauer, emergency manager in Woodward County in northwestern Oklahoma, said forecasters were predicting 14 to 16 inches of snow in the area.

"It looks like we're going to get more snow than ice," Lehenbauer said. "Our biggest concern is the loss of power."

Gov. Brad Henry declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday for all 77 counties to help transportation crews and emergency responders prepare for it. But the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said portions of Interstate 40 west of Oklahoma City were closed due to collisions and vehicles that overturned on icy roadways.

Terri Angier of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said the agency discouraged travel in the region.

"We are asking people to please stay home today," Angier said. She said the storm appeared as intense as a Christmas Eve blizzard that dumped up to 14 inches of snow on parts of the state, stranding scores of motorists on snow-choked roads.

Airlines canceled more than 50 flights at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City over concerns about icing on aircraft, said Karen Carney, public information and marketing manager.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning through Friday for much of the state. Winter storm warnings also covered the Texas Panhandle, where forecasters said between 4 and 8 inches of snow could fall by Thursday evening.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management opened its Emergency Operations Center early Thursday to coordinate the state's response to the storm, spokeswoman Michelann Ooten said.

Industrial-size generators and bottled water have been moved to staging sites in Oklahoma City and McAlester to be distributed where they are needed. Hospitals, mass shelters and water systems would be first to use the generators in case of power failures.

An ice storm in 2007 knocked out power to 650,000 utility customers across the state.