Drayage Brokersin Tulsa, OK

Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat has signed an executive order granting an emergency declaration to Tulsa County and several other counties impacted by the storm that swept through the state overnight Saturday.

More than 110,000 Public Service Company customers in Tulsa County are still without power after the storm brought 100 mile per hour winds through the state's second-largest city around midnight Saturday. In total, more than 125,000 PSO customers are still without power since the storm hit.

The emergency declaration assists Tulsa, Choctaw, Creek, Delaware, Harper, Mayes, Pawnee, Payne, Rogers and Wagoner counties.

“This state of emergency will be key in the coming days as we continue to work with our emergency management partners across the state and at FEMA to identify damages in the impacted areas and determine whether aid may be available to assist communities,” said ODEMHS Director Mark Gower.

“The state, including the Oklahoma Department Emergency Management and Homeland Security continues to be responsive through emergency declarations, waivers, and requests to impacted areas to restore power, protect critical infrastructure and to get Oklahomans the resources they need during these trying times," Gov. Kevin Stitt said in his statement.

At a news conference shortly after the order was signed, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said he's confident Tulsa will qualify for FEMA assistance.

"The threshold that I've heard that we need to meet that locally is around $7 million or $8 million — well, we met that with one building, the convention center," Bynum said.

In his statement, Stitt said the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management "continues to be responsive" through declarations, waivers and responding to requests for assistance.

Treat signed the executive order because Stitt and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell are both out of Oklahoma and are thus kept from signing by the Oklahoma constitution. According to a Rose State College Facebook post, Stitt is in Paris, France for the Paris Air Show.

Bynum said Treat visited Tulsa over the weekend and "was aware of the damage."

Treat's office said the Senate leader signed the executive order within an hour of being told he was acting governor, and within 20 minutes of reviewing pertinent documents.

"As he told me, as soon as he found out that he had the opportunity to act, he jumped right in his car, drove to the Capitol and signed the declaration," Bynum said at the news conference.

Pinnell argued on Monday that local municipalities and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management were still assessing the situation.

Tulsa Emergency Management Director Joe Kralicek said Monday that the county had submitted a request for emergency declaration to the state, and that Stitt's office had told them they would try to approve the request by end of day Monday. A spokesperson for Stitt's office did not immediately respond to request for comment from Public Radio Tulsa on Tuesday.

Bynum said he has spoken to Pinnell, but has not heard from Stitt. But he also gave Stitt the benefit of the doubt, pointing to the governor's attentiveness to Tulsa during the 2019 Arkansas River flood.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Attorney General Gentner Drummond called on the State Legislature to update the laws to improve communication when a governor travels out of state and modify requirements for issuing executive orders.

More than 100,000 customers of electricity providers in northeastern Oklahoma remained without power on Wednesday afternoon as recovery from a violent Saturday night storm continued at a frustrating pace.

Most of the homes and businesses still without power were in the Tulsa metro, according to PowerOutage.US.

The site reported more than 84,000 customers still waiting for lights, refrigerators and precious air conditioners to be turned back on in Tulsa County. Temperatures in the Tulsa area ranged into the 90s on Tuesday afternoon and humidity was high as forecasters predicted a potential for additional rough weather.

PowerOutage.US reported more than 4,000 outages in adjacent Creek County as of noon Wednesday. Smaller numbers were reported in Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Rogers, Mayes, Wagoner and Pottawatomie counties.

Public Service Co. of Oklahoma, which services most of the region, reported that power had been restored by Wednesday to more than 100,000 customers and that line workers and others were working continuously. However, in a social media post, the utility said some may remain without electricity through Saturday.

“Restoration times are between now and Saturday at 5 p.m. As estimates are refined, the outage map will be updated,” it said in a post Wednesday morning.

Numerous cooling stations were open in Tulsa and surrounding communities. At the locations, people also were able to charge cellphones or power needed medical equipment, PSO and city officials said.

Utility provider OG&E said at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday that it anticipated that 98% of its customers would see power restored by later in the evening. It said those remaining likely would be restored by 10 p.m. Thursday.

“We have mobilized additional crews to the northeast region of our service area to help restore those customers as quickly and safely as possible,” the provider said. “Severe weather today could impact ongoing restoration.”

The city of Tulsa advised that information about outages and predictions for restoration could be found online at psoklahoma.com/alerts.

The city also put out a caution about electricians, roofing contractors and others potentially looking to gouge customers. It said there have been reports of contractors inflating costs due to cost of obtaining permits for weatherheads from the city. A weatherhead is the entry point where overhead power or telephone wires enter into a building.

“This is not true and should be a red flag for consumers,” Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a social media post. “I have received reports of some contractors telling Tulsans the City permit will cost them $1000. The cost for this permit is $93.11 and exists to cover part of the cost for making sure the installation is correct and safe for your home.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said a declaration of emergency for eastern Oklahoma triggered activation of the Emergency Price Stabilization Act.

“As a result of this declaration of emergency, Oklahoma can act proactively to protect consumers instead of simply waiting for them to be scammed by unscrupulous actors,” he said.

Drummond encouraged people to be on the lookout and report any suspected contractor fraud by calling toll-free 833-681-1895.

All of the news wasn’t bleak. On Wednesday, Bixby Ice Cream Co. announced it would give away free ice cream, and grocery store Reasor’s offered free ice to people while supplies held out. The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma extended an invitation to people to pick up grilled cheeseburgers, chips and drinks.

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=1327,dis=none"><div _="@=1328,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

TULSA, Okla. — The sun is back in Tulsa bringing the heat with it in a time when A/C is hard to find. The City of Tulsa set up cooling stations around the city for those without power to cool down.

The City of Tulsa released the information on cooling station locations:

Other community buildings are opening doors to provide cooling resources.

Remember to stay hydrated and utilize this city resource if you need it. The Tulsa Red Cross also has shelters open and are providing meals:

Shelters are open 24 hours. Cooling centers are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. All will remain open as long as needed. Sites are opened in coordination with local officials and community groups.

Shelters

Tulsa County:Crosstown Church Of Christ3400 E Admiral PlaceTulsa, OK(Closing Thursday at 5 p.m.)

Southminster Presbyterian Church Community Center3500 S Peoria Ave.Tulsa, OK

Cooling centers

Creek County:

First Baptist Church Olive9372 S 433rd W Ave.Drumright, OK

River of Life Church521 E BroadwayDrumright, OK

Pawnee County:

Jennings Senior Center308 N Main St.Jennings, OK

Rogers County:

Catoosa Public Library and Community Center105 E Oak St.Catoosa, OK

Tulsa County:

Hutcherson Family YMCA1120 E Pine St.Tulsa, OK

Lacy Park & Community Center2134 N Madison PlaceTulsa, OK

Reed Park & Community Center4233 S Yukon Ave.Tulsa, OK

Tulsa Dream Center(9 a.m.–6 p.m.)200 W 46th St. NTulsa, OK

Tulsa American Legion 11120 E 8th St.Tulsa, OK

All are welcome in Red Cross shelters and cooling centers. At this time, we are only able to accommodate service animals. We encourage people who plan to stay in a Red Cross shelter to bring prescription medications, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, other comfort items and important documents. Don't forget to bring any special items for children, such as diapers, formula and toys, or for family members who have unique needs. Red Cross disaster workers can also assist people who need to replace medications or have other health needs. If you need assistance and cannot get to a shelter, call 1-800-RED CROSS. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Trending stories from 2 News Oklahoma:

Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --

TULSA — Oklahoma won't be celebrating with Madonna after all.

As the music icon announced Tuesday the newly rescheduled dates of her postponed "The Celebration Tour," she also canceled at least five previously announced concerts, including her planned show at Tulsa's BOK Center.

According to an email from the venue, the Oklahoma stop on Madonna's "The Celebration Tour" has been scrapped due to scheduling conflicts.

Madonna, who turns 65 on Wednesday, Aug. 16, was originally scheduled to launch her global trek July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and make an Oklahoma stop July 27 at the BOK Center.

Why did Madonna postpone her 'The Celebration Tour?'

But the Rock and Roll Fall of Famer officially postponed in July her North American concerts on "The Celebration Tour," including all shows originally scheduled between July 15 and Oct. 8, due to health issues.

Word of the official postponement came after the superstar’s manager, Guy Oseary, announced in June via Instagram that Madonna had been hospitalized in a New York intensive care unit with a “serious bacterial infection" but was expected to make a full recovery.

“On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection, which led to a several-day stay in the ICU. Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected,” Oseary posted at the time.

“At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.”

In a July message on Instagram, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said she planned to reschedule her North American leg of the trek and begin "The Celebration Tour" in October in Europe.

"I'm on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all my blessings in life," Madonna said in her July 10 Instagram post.

"My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour. I also didn't want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone."

Which of Madonna's North American shows have been canceled?

But not all her originally announced North American tour dates will be rescheduled. Along with the Tulsa concert, her Dec. 22 show in Nashville, Jan. 15 concert in San Francisco, Jan. 18 date in Las Vegas, and Jan. 20 show in Phoenix have all been canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

Refunds for these dates will be issued at the original point of purchase.

The best-selling female solo touring artist of all time, Madonna is expected to showcase her famed catalog of hits spanning more than four decades on "The Celebration Tour," produced by Live Nation.

According to the superstar's website, the tour now will start Oct. 14 with a four-night run of sold-out London shows at O2 Arena.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Thousands of residents in Oklahoma and Louisiana remained without electricity Wednesday as work crews continued to repair power lines damaged by weekend storms.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, less than 92,000 customers remained without power after three tornadoes northeast of the city caused extensive damage Sunday, including downed trees and hundreds of snapped utility poles.

The three tornadoes were each rated EF1 with winds between 86 miles per hour (138 kilometers per hour) and 110 miles per hour (177 kilometers per hour ), National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Sellers said Wednesday.

“There was a lot of wind damage, but most of the damage was straight line winds,” Sellers said.

Other news

Thunderstorms that moved through the Tulsa area on Wednesday slowed down repair crews, Wayne Greene, a spokesperson for Public Service Company of Oklahoma, the state’s second largest electric utility provider, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

“Our numbers actually bumped up a little bit,” Greene said. “But we’re making good progress again.”

At the height of the power outage on Sunday, more than 200,000 customers were without power.

Officials expected the prolonged outages in the Tulsa area to possibly last into the weekend for some residents.

City officials have set up cooling centers for residents. Tulsa was under a heat advisory Wednesday as hot temperatures and high humidity created dangerous conditions for several hours. Another heat advisory was set for Thursday. A heat wave has kept large swaths of the southern U.S. in triple-digit temperatures for the past week.

“Everybody is going to get through this together as long as we remain neighborly and help one another,” said Joe Kralicek, director of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency.

In northwest Louisiana, huge uprooted and toppled trees still littered parts of the landscape five days after high straight-line winds and a tornado tore through the area early Friday.

The storm had knocked out power for more than 250,000 people in the area. Electricity was restored to all but about 32,000 by Wednesday afternoon. Most were in the Shreveport and Caddo Parish area, and most were customers of Southwestern Electric Power Company, which provides much of the power in that part of the state. About 3,000 workers from multiple states were part of the repair effort.

Cooling centers for people without power or air conditioning remained open in and around Shreveport with Wednesday temperatures in the mid-90s (35 degrees Celsius) and heat indices as high as 114 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius).