Winter Storm

At least 24 people have died in the wake of a major storm that cut power lines and electricity to nearly one million homes and businesses in the Midwest, particularly Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois. In Oklahoma alone, the power outage hit nearly 600,000 homes and businesses, while about 350,000 were affected in the other states.

Oklahoma is the worst hit. The state governments of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas have already declared states of emergency, and the President has declared a federal emergency in Oklahoma.

Most of the deaths were due to cars skidding in ice- and sleet-covered roads. Of the 24 deaths so far reported, 15 were in Oklahoma. The freezing conditions also led to tree branches and power lines snapping under the weight of thick ice.

Chicago O’Hare Airport authorities had to cancel 560 flights Tuesday, while long delays affected hundreds of other flights.

The greatest danger came from downed power lines. More than a hundred fires each were reported in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, as tree limbs crashed into live power lines.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency supplied 50 industrial generators to Oklahoma to provide power to hospitals, water-treatment plans and emergency shelters. FEMA also furnished pre-packaged meals, blankets and cots to emergency shelters.

Safety Tips:

General Tips on Power Outage
* Keep away (including children and pets) from downed power lines. It is better to assume it is a live wire.
* Always check first your circuit breaker panel or fuse boxes when a power outage occurs. There may be circuit breakers that have tripped or blown fuses.
* Report any power outage immediately to the utility company. The utility may not immediately know when power outages occur.

Before a Winter Storm
* Prepare an emergency kit. It must have at least: a battery-powered radio, corded phone, bottled water, canned food, flashlights/batteries and candles/matches for illumination, first-aid kit.
* Designate a small room to serve as emergency living quarters. If possible, let it be a room with good insulation and a working fireplace or fuel-power heater (with enough fuel).

After the Storm Passes
* Keep faucets slightly open, to keep water running and prevent freezing of pipes.
* Turn off every appliance when power outage occurs. This helps avoid electrical overload once power comes back, but have one light on to alert you when power has been restored.
* Minimize opening of refrigerators and freezers. This helps keep the cold in longer and preserve the food inside.
* Listen to radio stations for news and updates.