Mayes County Emergency Management Deals With Ice

Utility crews in Mayes County are working overtime to restore electricity. News on 6 anchor Tami Marler says 60 percent of the homes and businesses are still without power.<br/> <br/>Folks in communities

Tuesday, January 16th 2007, 12:35 pm

By: News On 6

Utility crews in Mayes County are working overtime to restore electricity. News on 6 anchor Tami Marler says 60 percent of the homes and businesses are still without power.

Folks in communities like Locust Grove, Salina, Spavinaw and Chouteau are really suffering. Thousands of people there are going on their fourth day without electricity or water.

The scene in Mayes County is much like the scene in other parts of the state, ravaged by an ice overload.

The power plant is churning out energy, but it's not getting to thousands of people here. Crews from several states are braving the elements to repair miles and miles of downed power lines, but Mayes County communities are in for some bitter cold temperatures before their work is finished.

"This is the worst one I've ever seen. I've never seen nothing like this," said Salina Assistant Police Chief Shane Smith.

Shane Smith sent his family to stay with relatives in nearby Pryor while he and other Salina police officers and firefighters try to persuade area residents to do the same.

"We're trying to talk 'em all into going into shelters. The ones that don't have generators, but people are persistent and want to stay at home. They don't want to leave their home," Smith said.

Like many of the small towns around Mayes County Salina's water pumps run on electricity, and without power running the entire city is really suffering.

"It's going to get bitterly cold tonight. It will be below freezing in your house. It is a public health issue that you need to be aware of," said Lloyd Colston with Mayes County Emergency Management.

The Mayes County Emergency Management war room has received hundreds of calls from people requesting volunteers to bring water, generators and medications, but director Lloyd Colston says his workers are there to support the county's nine working shelters.

"I'm assuming there's 38,000 people in this county and only 200 are in a shelter. The others are gone somewhere," Colston said.

Colston estimates with 60 percent of the county's population without power thousands must be trying to rough it at home, something he advises strongly against.

"They will be okay if they go to the shelter. And no we can't bring you water and we can't bring you wood and we can't bring you fuel for the generators," said Colston.

Colston says more than half of his staff is also getting-by without power and water so they make the most of their time by getting people to shelter, they'll even pick you up just call 825-6825.