Warming Station Opens In Mayes County As Frigid Temperatures Continue

Mayes County Emergency Management leaders say conditions are starting to get better now that the snow is finished and crews have been treating roads. The focus is now on the dangerously cold temperatures.

The roads are clearing now, but Mayes County emergency management deputy director Mike Dunham says it was quite the different story when the precipitation and temperatures first started falling.

“ODOT and the county has been working on the roads feverishly," said Dunham. "They’ve been able to get them to where they’re a lot better off, we were having a bad problem with wrecks on Highway 412 and Highway 69 and some of the other side roads, but we’ve gotten those to squelch down where it’s not as bad."

Power outages are another concern in the county because of the strong winds. There were some outages earlier but those have been addressed.

A warming station has also been set up at Kingdom Kloset near Highway 69 and Graham Avenue.

“We have a lot of people who are out on the streets right now and so it is very important that they have a place to go-someplace safe, some place warm," said Janice Bell, President of Kingdom Kloset.

The shelter will be open everyday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.