 The ice accumulated on power lines and the icy weight was too much to bear. Lines stretched to the ground pulling down and snapping poles. An AEP/PSO spokesman said that a review of film from a Saturday morning aerial flight, showed an estimated 800 transmission and 500 distribution structures had been damaged. PSO said 68,000 of their 525,000 customers had been affected with power outages. Cotton Electrict reported almost 8,000 outages. By Thursday, Feb. 11 customers in the Caddo Electric area were reporting that some had been told it would be March before electrical service would be restored. Power has been restored for most residents in Cement, Cyril, and rural areas in northeastern Comanche County.In the Elgin/Sterling area, officials estimated that 150 poles were downed. PSO spokesman Stan Whitehead said that they had 1200 people in the field working to restore service. Without power most businesses had to close. Some gas staion/covenience stores were able to locate generators to sell fuel and groceries. Thankfully the roadways soon cleared and people were able to leave their homes to find lodging in larger metropolitan areas. Reports of hotels and motels being full in Lawton forced some to travel to Wichita Falls and Oklahoma City for shelter. Supplies of candles, lamp oil, and bottled water were soon sold out. Generators were brought in and being sold off trucks as patrons bought them up. Comanche countians are keeping their fingers crossed that another round of bad weather doesn't come in this weekend as moisture and dropping temperatures are in the forecast. |