January 4, 2021

Oklahoma Starts New Year With A Snow Storm And Power Outages

          Oklahoma residents welcome in the new year in a grim way. Power outages followed the snow storm that battered the city leaving residents frustrated according to a Oklahoma News 4 article from January 1st. In it they say:

frustrated after losing power because of the snow storm. For some, it’s a recurring problem. Larisa Horwitz, says she’s lost count of how many times she’s lost power in the past few months. During the October ice storm, she was without electricity for ten days.  ‘Ah, not again!’ she said was her reaction after it went off again during the snow storm. ‘We have it so often, it looks like we have more. Maybe it’s three or four or five, I don’t know. I don’t count. This is not the first time, not the second, not the third.’ ”

          This, sadly, brings back some not-too-distant memories for residents of the power outages that hit Oklahoma in late October after an unusually early and frighteningly fierce ice storm. That storm, has only just gotten approval for a disaster declaration according to a December 22nd article from The Oklahoman. In it they say: 

“President Donald Trump on Monday approved a major disaster declaration for 13 Oklahoma counties affected by the ice storm in late October. The president’s declaration means federal funding will be available, on a cost-sharing basis, to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations for work on facilities damaged by the ice storms in Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Dewey, Grady, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pottawatomie and Roger Mills.”

            Residents are sick and tired of the inclement weather, but that can’t be controlled. What seems to be more troubling is the frequency of power outages in the area.