100,000+ In Okla., Mo. Still Without Power

[struggle4progress]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/20/eveningnews/main2381160.shtml

[Outdoordude01]

1. Hooray for crumbling infrastructure!

[Earth_First]

2. Or...

a 1/2" of ice and 3 consecutive storms...

Welcome to DU!

[Outdoordude01]

3. Do they usually get this bad winters down there?

I'm up in MN and we are going through a real wuss winter.....maybe they are getting ours.

[Earth_First]

4. Not generally, especially not of such calibre...

We went through an experience very similar in 1991. We were with out services for 21 days before all was said and done. I really feel for the folks in the mid-west right now, I've been there before.

[RoyGBiv]

5. About twice in a decade ...

The last time we had something similar to this was 2000-2001, and it was just as bad, although not involving consecutive storm systems. I spent part of that storm stuck at my mother's house, where I had been visiting for Christmas, and after I made it home I spent another week sleeping where I worked because I couldn't get to my house for all the downed trees ... and even if I could have, we had no power.

Interestingly, this time "winter" as a whole hasn't been bad. We got one huge snow storm earlier, but the snow melted quickly. Two days before the first series of storms hit during this cycle, we had high temps in the 70's (near records), and the temperatures had been moderate the whole season except during brief periods.

[Sherman A1]

6. And well compensated Corporate Executives

who cut back on such pesky little things as tree trimming and maintenance (at least in our area - St. Louis).

[newyawker99]

15. Hi Outdoordude01!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[kimsterdemster]

7. I'm an Okie...

Thank God we were spared here in Western OK, we were hit bad in 2002, no tricity for a week like the one's in Southeastern OK are right now. I hope people are looking after the elderly in those area's, also feel bad for the animals. We have always wondered why the electrical lines can't be buried instead of hanging on those damn wood poles, not to mention the fact that the electrical pole and their lines are so damn UGLY. I have seen new housing divisions that bury these lines and are way more appealing.

The man of the house has to sweep our satellite every so often, I've been uploading this one on the local stations with the caption: Must have T.V.

[madokie]

14. I had to tape a can of de-icer to a 20 foot piece of pvc to reach ours

gotta have the tv for the news now don't we :evilgrin:

[donheld]

8. Yes this is very sad but,

Kansas has Power, yet a good share of it's citizens remain in the dark. :evilgrin:

[Eurobabe]

9. But Bush can spend 9 billion a month to kick ass in EYE-RACK!

This country is so fucked.

[KatyaR]

10. You must realize that many of these people get their power from small

companies or co-operatives that don't have the resources to mount a response the way a major power player would.

But, that being said, we're dealing with a situation somewhat different that we've had before. The stuff we have in OKC is all ICE--not snow, but cement-like ice:


(almost three inches thick on this parking lot and hard as a rock--you needed a pick-ax to break it up)






This was from the hood of my truck on Tuesday morning--it's at least 4 inches thick.

This was unlike any storm I've ever seen, and I've lived in Oklahoma my entire almost-50 years.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

11. Where'd you take those pictures?

I'm also in OKC and it looks familiar.
Duckie

[KatyaR]

16. At my office just north of Portland and Memorial,

on the access road.

[lies and propaganda]

17. so youre in OKC?

my parents live in Shawnee, I imagine this is what they have been living with as well and Im pretty glad I moved to Arizona.

take care of yourself!

[KatyaR]

18. Thanks!

It's much better today--temps have been warmer the last couple of days and things are beginning to melt. It's early morning that's the worst right now.

I have a co-worker who lives in Shawnee, and it was really bad over there. It took him about 2 hours to get into OKC each day. I think it was Monday that he said he had seen two semis turned over on their backs, wheels up, and there was nothing anyone could do to right them because it was so icy.

I'm still wishing we'd gotten that 4-8 inches of snow they predicted for yesterday--I was jonesin' for a day off on Monday . . . .

[cynatnite]

12. My sister went over a month without power in Nebraska...

no government to be found. It was neighbor helping neighbor through the entire ordeal. Oh, and the dumbass that turned on her power ran over the dog. Logan had been a member of the family for twelve years.

[madokie]

13. where I live in the northeastern part of OK we are getting a reprieve

it rained all night and it is/was above freezing so the bulk of the ice is gone now. But, but our trees look like a tornado came through though. I'm so sad for that as all our trees we have planted. when we moved out here in '90 it was a pasture no trees, now we have, maybe I should say had some huge trees, 24" in diameter and such

[rainbow4321]

19. I can't believe that the state won't give the schools waivers

for the snow days that they have had...IMO, if a state has to declare/request their state to be a major disaster area (to get fed funds for recovery, etc..) and when a large number of people are displaced into shelters, no electricity, etc...it is a really good time to offer the mandatory attendence waiver. Oklahoma kids are going to be in school til mid June at this point. And that is assuming no more snow storms this winter.