The ice storm of December 8-10, 2007, is yet another in a list of significant icing events to hit the state since the turn of the millennium, and the second this year.  With estimates as high as 630,000 customers without power, it dwarfs the previous high of approximately 255,000 during the January 2002 ice storm. That fact begs the question:  "Was this ice storm more powerful than those of the previous decade?" That answer is difficult to ascertain. According to the sheer numbers of those left powerless, the answer would obviously be a resounding "yes".  As far as the amount of precipitation and ice accumulation goes, the amounts seem to be similar. So why is there such a discrepancy in the number of power outages? Location, location, location.

Keep in mind that the state's major metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa have largely received only glancing blows from the previous icing events. In fact, the I-44 corridor has seemed to act as a dividing line between the worst effects during past events. The December 2000 storm mainly affected areas south and east of I-44, while the January 2002 event devastated areas to the north and west of that interstate highway. It has always been well understood that should Oklahoma City or Tulsa receive the amount of ice as in the southeast or northwest during these previous events, the amount of structural and property damage would increase dramatically.

As for damage estimates, the tallies from previous storms soared into the hundreds of millions. Damage from the current storm will undoubtedly soar into that territory as well as clean-up begins and the impacts become more well-defined. The true cost of weather in Oklahoma is measured in lives, however, and the current storm has been particularly deadly. Twelve fatalities have been attributed to the inclement weather, all due to motor vehicle accidents.

Oklahoma Ice Storms Since 2000

• December 25-27, 2000: Major snow and ice storms struck statewide, especially powerful in southeast quarter. Power was lost to at least 120,000 homes and businesses, including 90 percent of the residents of McIntosh, Latimer, and Pittsburg counties. Extended power outages also led to disruptions of local water supplies in several areas. At least 27 fatalities were attributable to the extreme weather conditions, which extended well into January 2001. Total property damage in the state was approximately $170 million.
• January 28-30, 2002:  This powerful winter storm wreaked havoc on the northwestern half of the state, and none suffered more than the state's power suppliers.  The storm left over $100 million of damage in its wake, leaving some 255,000 residences and businesses without power.  A week after the icy system exited the state, 39,000 Oklahoma residents were still in the dark as utility companies worked around the clock to replace snapped poles and downed power lines.  Enid, a city of 47,000, was entirely without electricity for days.  Power companies estimated that power could be lost for up to two months in some rural areas of northwestern Oklahoma. Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford closed its doors for only the 4th time in its 100-year history.  The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reported over 31,000 electrical poles destroyed due to the ice.  With about 20 poles per mile on an average electrical supply line, that results in over 1,550 miles of destroyed power supply capabilities, enough to stretch from Oklahoma City to New York City.  Electric power was not fully restored to all Oklahoma City residents until February 10, 11 days after the brunt of the ice storm exited the region.  Three weeks after the event, 2,320 customers remained without power. The most serious casualty in the wake of the ice storm, however, was the toll in human lives.  Seven fatalities were directly attributable to the effects of the late-January storm.  Four died in traffic accidents on the icy roadways, while two others died of asphyxiation while trying to get warm in enclosed spaces.  Another resident died when a large tree branch crushed him as he tried to clear his residence of debris.
• December 3, 2002:  The third significant ice storm in as many years, this icy blast left a damage footprint in a narrow band from west central to north central Oklahoma. Areas north of the icing region generally received 2-6 inches of snow, with some areas reporting more than eight inches. Moderate to heavy rainfall occurred to the south. The main impact of the ice storm was damage to electrical distribution systems. Because much of the area impacted by the storm is rural, the primary victims of the storms were members of rural electric cooperatives (RECs). About 30,000 REC customers were without power for some time during the storm. According to the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives, REC losses were about $4.5 million. Other power suppliers were impacted also. At the storm's peak, about 25,000 Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) customers lost power.
• January 12-15, 2007:  This storm caused catastrophic damage to the power systems in the eastern one-third Oklahoma, where ice accumulations were more than three inches in localized areas. Over 100,000 customers were without power at the height of this storm. One of the hardest hit areas was McAlester, where 15,000 lost power. Thirty-two deaths were linked to this storm:  19 perished in traffic accidents, eight succumbed to hypothermia, and three died due to accidental falls on the ice. Points northwest avoided catastrophic damage since most of the precipitation fell as snow and sleet.