PSO issues estimates for power restoration

By John Dobberstein, Editor

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) said it may be Saturday before power is restored to most of its customers in the Tulsa metro area, although some may see service back sooner than that.

The utility said some of its transmission facilities and more than 700 poles, cross-arms and wires suffered damaged during the Sunday storm that packed winds of up to 90 mph. 

Outages are concentrated in the Tulsa area, annd approximately 165,000 customers remain without power. PSO said it’s experiencing the utility’s most significant restoration event since the 2007 ice storm.

In Broken Arrow, thousands of outages are still lingering and 11 traffic lights without power have been replaced with 4-way stop signs.

Intersections with a 4-way stop in Broken Arrow.

Estimated times of restoration for customers whose property is in condition to accept electricity are as follows:

• Idabel–2 p.m. Monday
• Tulsa rural (Chouteau, Vinita, Grove) –5 p.m. Wednesday
• Tulsa metro –5 p.m. Saturday

PSO said most customers should be restored before 5 p.m.Saturday, but the utility reiterated that it connect service if the weather head on a house is broken or damaged

Line crews staging for storm response in Tulsa.

Online Resources

• Outage FAQs

• Storm preparedness before the storm, during the storm, and after the storm.

• PSO process for how we restore power

Safety Messages

• For safety’s sake, assume that any downed utility line is energized with deadly electric current. Stay away from the line and do not touch it with anything. Report it to PSO at 1-833-776-6884 (1-833-PSO-OUTG).

• Please do not approach crews and utility vehicles you see in your neighborhood to ask when power will be restored. Doing so could jeopardize your safety. Outward vision from the large utility vehicles can be limited. A crew may not see someone who has walked up to their work truck.

• Please note, all restoration estimates are for customers whose property is in condition to receive power. If the electric service entrance (meter loop) to your home or business has been damaged or pulled away from the structure, you will need to have it repaired by a licensed electrician before PSO can re-connect service.

Generator Safety

• Power Outage: If you use a generator, please follow the manufacturer’s

operating instructions. Do not operate the unit indoors. Connect appliances directly to the generator’s electric outlets...not to the main electrical panel of your home or business unless you have had an electric load transfer switch installed to isolate your home’s wiring from PSO’s electric system. Otherwise, you jeopardize the safety of utility workers.

• Evacuation: Before you evacuate your house please disconnect (open) your home’s main electrical breaker after you turn off the generator. This will eliminate any possibility of the generator feeding power back into PSO’s electric system.

Report and Track Outages

• Visit psoklahoma.com/outages/report/ or call 1-833-776-6884 (1-833-PSO- OUTG) to report an outage, safety hazard like a downed wires, downed poles or trees that have fallen on power lines.

• Use the mobile app, available for download via the App Store or Google Play, to report an outage, check outage status, view and pay your bill, manage your account, and more.

• Visit PSOklahoma.com/OutageMap to find detailed information without logging into your account.

• Sign up for text and email updates, including estimated time of restoration, at psoklahoma.com/alerts. Follow @PSOklahoma on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor for additional updates.

• Call PSO Customer Service Center at 1-833-776-7697 (1-833-PSO-POWR) for any other customer service issues.