Tulsa without power and caused President Bush to declare the area a state of emergency.

4 a.m. Update – In the Tulsa metro area, there are 143,000 customers without power.  Statewide, PSO has 148,000 customers still without power.
 
Check PSOklahoma.com for more information.

PSO continues to work to restore power to customers following the ice storm that left more than 220,000 people in Tulsa without power and caused President Bush to declare the area a state of emergency.
           
PSO has called in 1,500 linemen from other areas to join 500 PSO linemen and 1,000 tree trimmers in restoring power as quickly as possible.  Many Tulsans have already had their power restored as a result of these efforts.  For everyone else, PSO continues to work diligently around the clock and hopes to have the area completely restored by the middle of next week.
 
Safety should still be taken very seriously, as limbs can grow weaker and cause new outages even today.  PSO strongly urges everyone affected by the ice storm to use extreme precautions. 
 
The following safety measures should be taken at all times:

• Stay away from fallen lines – Fallen lines should always be assumed to be live, even if they look “dead.” These lines can be reported to emergency services or to PSO at 1-888-216-3523.

 

• Customers relying on life-support equipment: contact relatives or friends for temporary accommodations – Due to the complex nature of power restoration, PSO cannot give priority restoration to life-support customers.  These customers should always keep emergency numbers available and make accommodations to stay with a friend or relative that can support their needs.

 

• Do not plug any generators into your home’s circuit box – Portable generators plugged into home circuit boxes can “back feed” electricity up the line and put the lives of workers at risk.  Always follow the generator’s instructions and plug appliances directly into it.

 

• Do not call the police or fire department to report an outage – Calling emergency services will not speed up the restoration process.  Customers who have lost power may report outages to PSO at 1-888-218-3919.  Once restored, please turn on an outside light to let us know that you have power.

PSO appreciates your patience in this difficult time.  We will continue to work non-stop until every home and business gets its power back.
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 520,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 4,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state.  News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.