PSO Crews Working To Restore Power To Tens Of Thousands In Tulsa Area

Chainsaw crews are out working hard to clear trees that have toppled power lines across the Tulsa area.

In the Mayo Meadow neighborhood near 21st and Yale, a line touched down, catching fire to the grass. Residents there lost their power early Wednesday morning.

"I don't know what we're going to do. We got stuff in the ice chest, because we're losing food. So, it's hard but we'll just have to be patient," said Roshon Scott.

"There was a lot of rain, and with the wind the rain was, almost going sideways," said Brian Balaskovits.

He weathered the storm at home, but now he's without power.

It's a big deal for his family, because they have a 7-week-old, and they're worried he might get too hot. They've opened a window in his room in an effort to get the air circulating.

7/24/2013 Related Story: Storms Knock Out Power For 105,000-Plus Oklahoma Customers

"We don't want the house to get super hot. He's doing okay now and everything's pretty comfortable in here, but he's our main concern," Balaskovits said.

PSO says, at one point Wednesday morning, 96,000 customers in the Tulsa area had lost power.

The company says the damage includes everything from power poles being snapped in half to transmission lines falling victim to downed trees, and power lines that were ripped away from individual homes.

PSO expects the repairs to take several days with the first step to address some of the bigger problems.

"Those are the type of things we're looking to do right now, is to make the fixes that bring on most customers at any one time," said Stan Whiteford, with PSO.

7/24/2013 Related Story: Storm Cuts Power To Traffic Signals Across Tulsa

The Balaskovits', meanwhile, are waiting patiently, hoping power is restored before little James takes notice.

"There's always options. I'm a school teacher, so we work in flexibility. Lights go out, you just make do," he Balaskovits said.

PSO says it's very important that residents stay away from downed power lines, even if the electricity is not flowing.

If you see a line in your neighborhood, you can either report it directly to PSO or call 911.