City of Tulsa Storm Update - June 20, 2023 Noon

6/20/2023

The Emergency Operations Center remains activated to coordinate the areawide response following the severe storm that passed through Tulsa early yesterday morning.

Free Greenwaste Site Open for Residential Customers
The City of Tulsa Mulch Site is closed, but an additional location is available for greenwaste drop-offs.

• Standup Mulch Site, E. Latimer St. & N. 89th East Ave. (map)
• Free for Residential customers
• Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Tulsa Quarry Landfill, 13720 E 46th St N., is also open, but fees are charged and vary by weight.

Residential Curbside Greenwaste Pickup
Residential curbside greenwaste pickup is expected to occur in the coming weeks. To prepare, residents should cut their green waste into 5-foot sections and neatly stack it parallel to the curb. Make sure greenwaste is not placed under power lines or over water meters, gas meters, telephone or cables boxes and mailboxes. A pickup window regarding residential curbside pickup will be announced at a later date.

Important Numbers

• Trees in the roadway and waterline breaks: (918) 596-9488
• Sewer overflow: (918) 586-6999
• Power outage or downed lines: Online or call (833) 776-6884
• Gas leaks: Call 911 after evacuating the area

Cooling and Power Stations
Multiple cooling stations are open across the Tulsa metro for anyone without power needing a place to cool down or charge their phones and/or medical devices. A full list can be found on the front page of the City’s website, www.cityoftulsa.org.

Power Outages and Downed Lines
PSO customers can check power outages online and restoration estimates online at https://www.psoklahoma.com/OutageMap. If you reported your PSO outage online, you can get status alerts on your outage. Currently, about 133,000 PSO customers are without power in the metro.

Estimated restoration times will be continuously updated as restoration proceeds. Please visit https://www.psoklahoma.com/alerts to ensure you are receiving updates for your address.

Weatherhead Permit Costs Lowered for Tulsa residents
If the weatherhead (above-ground power connection) to your house is damaged, an electrician should be called to repair the weatherhead. PSO will not be able to restore service to a damaged weatherhead.

City of Tulsa Development Services is ready for storm-related structure repair permits and trade permits. These will be expedited reviews and permits issued on the same day. Inspections for the repair or individual trade will also be on the same day. To schedule an inspection, call (918) 596-9656.

There have been reports of contractors inflating their costs due to the high cost of obtaining permits for weatherheads. This is not true and should be a red flag for consumers. City of Tulsa Development Services has lowered its electrical trade weatherhead permit cost to $93.11 due to the storm.

A few additional things for residents to know include:

1. Make sure contractors hired to do work are licensed, insured and bonded.
2. Make sure roof contractors or trade contractors (mechanical, electrical or plumbing) are licensed through the State of Oklahoma. They should be able to show a valid State license.
3. Repair permits are not online. They either need to be brought into Tulsa City Hall, 175 E. 2nd St. during normal business hours, or they can email bmathis@cityoftulsa.org. Permit applications received by email will be able to pay online once the application is input into the system and approved. Payment must be made before permit issuance.
4. If citizens have questions, they can call (918) 596-9456 during normal business hours.

Public Safety 
Tulsa Police non-emergency can be reached at (918) 596-9222. Please use 911 for emergencies, including emergencies for events like fires resulting from downed lines. If you come across intersections where streetlights are out, please treat the intersection as a four-way-stop.

Avoiding Scams
During times of natural disasters, scammers try to take advantage of the situation. Tulsans may see individuals going around door to door offering roof repair, tree trimming, or any other general repairs due to storm damage. The ultimate goal of the scammer is to offer a service, get you to pay in full, and then they take your money and never actually perform the service.

Here are a few things citizens can do to avoid being scammed:

• Be cautious of people going door to door looking to provide work or service.
• If you need home repairs, seek a company or contractor out on your own.
• Use reputable companies
• Do research on a company before you hire them
• Ask around for personal references
• Do not blindly trust internet 5-star reviews, as these can be manipulated by the scammer
• Never pay for the service prior to the work being completed
• Be cautious of paying a large deposit upfront
• If someone is pressuring you to pay in full up front, find another company that is willing to do the work first.

Ultimately, if you feel like you have been scammed in the wake of the recent storms, please complete an online police report at www.tulsapolice.org.

Fire Safety & Open Burning
There is an increasing number of calls about citizens burning storm debris within the city limits of Tulsa. It is illegal to do so. The fire marshal will be issuing tickets to individuals that choose to ignore the city statute.

211 Eastern Oklahoma
For questions and help with food, rent, utilities and more, residents can call 211.

Tulsa Transit
Tulsa Transit bus routes are running as normal. For the most up to date information on routes, visit https://www.tulsatransit.org/.

Refuse & Recycling
Trash and recycling pickup will operate as normal so long as roadways are passable. All trash should be placed in bags in your gray trash cart, and only loose recyclables should be placed in the blue recycle cart. If your carts are not picked up due to inaccessibility, please be patient and leave them at the curb. Haulers will make every effort to collect when roads are passable.

Bulky Waste and WIN Dumpster Program
Bulky waste pickups and the WIN Dumpster Program have been suspended as crews have been diverted to storm response. An update will be provided of when pickups will resume.

Food Safety and Neighbors
If you have elderly neighbors and family members, please check on them to ensure they are safe.

Because many residences will be without power, residents are asked to practice proper food safety measures, which include:

• Do not rely on your eyes and sense of smell when determining whether food is safe to eat.
• Food kept above 41° Fahrenheit for more than four (4) hours should be considered unsafe.
• Foods of greatest concern are meats, lunch meats, fish and shellfish, poultry, soft cheese, dairy, eggs, and cut fruits and melons.
• Individuals should keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
• With the freezer closed, foods usually will stay cold at least a day, perhaps two or three days depending on the quantity of insulation.
• If food stored in a freezer still has ice crystals when the power is turned back on, it can be safely refrozen or cooked at a later date.
• The safest advice to follow is, "when in doubt throw it out.”

For a complete list of ways to safely determine whether food is safe after a power outage, visit www.cdc.gov/foodsafety.

SNAP Benefit Food Replacements
People can request replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits that were destroyed related to a household misfortune, including weather events. The request must be completed within 10 calendar days of the loss via this online form.

Tulsa Parks Updates

Golf courses

Mohawk sustained significantly more tree loss than Charles Page. All safety concerns have been remediated, and the fairways have been mostly cleared of debris. The Mohawk course is still without power and will reopen when it is back online.

Summer Camps
Camps are still open at the community centers at Lacy, Reed, and Jane A. Malone

Hicks, Waterworks, and Whiteside are closed due to no power.

Pools Open
Lacy Pool will open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Reed pool will open from Noon to 6 p.m.

Park Facilities Closed

• Centennial Center at Veterans Park
• Mohawk Golf Course
• Woodward Park
• Hunter Park
• Trails at Reed Park (closed due to downed trees)
• Oxley Nature Center

Tulsa Animal Welfare 
The Tulsa Animal Welfare is open during regular business hours this week. If you do not have power, make sure your animals have plenty of water and shade.

Tulsa Municipal Court
Tulsa Municipal Court is open today. No failure to appear warrants will be issued for anyone who does not appear in court today. For those who don’t appear on June 20, their cases will be passed as follows:

• Last names: A-M – July 5
• Last names: N-Z – July 6

Tulsa County Updates

For the most up to date information on Tulsa County operations and closures, visit www.tulsacounty.org. Follow Tulsa County on Facebook, @TulsaCounty.