As Many of you may be aware, most of Oklahoma has been devastated by an ice storm that has cut off electricity for over 500,000 Oklahomans (which also means no heat for most people as well, in the midst of frigid conditions)
State Senator Andrew Rice spent much of today touring and helping out in his urban State Senate district, which has been hit particularly bad.
Rice's statement below the fold.
From the AP:
A blast of cold air turned rain into a freezing drizzle Monday, blanketing the state in ice, contributing to at least 15 deaths and blacking out a half-million homes and businesses in the biggest power outage in state history. [...]
Utility officials said the outage total easily surpassed previous power disruptions.
"If you do the math, probably one out of three Oklahomans has no electricity at this point," said Gil Broyles, a spokesman for OG&E [Oklahoma Gas & Electric].
From Sen. Rice's Statement:
Andrew spent the day in his state senate district, visiting a local shelter and doing all he could to assist during this emergency.
"Oklahomans are grateful for the hard work of emergency crews throughout the state and for the generous assistance coming in from neighboring states," Andrew said today. "I was reassured that many people in my district are able to find food and a warm bed at local shelters, but I know that many remain displaced or unable to leave their homes. I encourage all Oklahomans to check in on their friends, family, and neighbors – especially the elderly – and ensure that they are safe, warm, and provided for."
Full statement here.
Sen. Rice said the RED CROSS is doing a tremendous job on the ground, and he asks that you do what you can to send donations to the OKLAHOMA CITY CHAPTER or the TULSA CHAPTER.
Thank you for the support!
-Team Rice
Rice for U.S. Senate Campaign Website