Weekend Winds Cause Power Outages Weeks After Ice Storm

OG&E has been working to return power to 600,000 Oklahomans following the most significant outage in the company's history two weeks ago.

The company claimed the damages from October’s ice storm and Saturday’s winds were just too much for the system to withstand. 

"That wind came at a time when we had a little bit more vulnerability on the system with the damage we had already sustained," OG&E spokesperson Gayle Maxwell said.

Winds began to pick up around noon Saturday, causing outages across the metro. 

As hundreds went without power Sunday night, when electricity will be restored is not certain.

"I can say crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to get power back on," Maxwell said.

Once the winds mixed with damages from the October ice storm, power outages were not the only concern.

"We had more tree limbs that were falling,” Maxwell said. “You can just ride anywhere around the city and see limbs still hanging.”

Just a few days before the most recent outages, OG&E said they returned power to all Oklahomans after the historic ice storm. 

"It was a statewide emergency that happened,” Maxwell said. “We had this early season ice storm that we don't normally see. It caused so many problems we do not usually see in our state.”

The company brought in 4,000 linemen members to work on the power issues.

Many trees lost limbs which caused power lines to go down.

"There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and that will continue for several weeks," Maxwell said. "Stay away from down powerlines. Always. You always assume they are live. Keep your pets away from down powerlines.”