A severe winter storm may rain ice down on Tulsa starting Friday, but fair weather is in the forecast for the next few days.
"This is the time to take advantage of the several days we have to get you, your family, everybody ready to ride out this event and not be out if you don't have to," said Tulsa Area Emergency Manager Roger Jolliff.
Besides reviewing your family emergency plan, Jolliff said you should make sure your car is ready by topping off your fuel tank, making sure it's in good working order and preparing an emergency kit to stash in it.
"Some things you might want to keep with you would be a shovel, scrapers, deicer for your windshield, water, food, snacks," Jolliff said. "Just tell yourself, 'If I get trapped in my car, what are the things I would like to have with me?' Blankets, first aid kits, a two chain, tow rope, a distress flag of some kind."
Jolliff said the best thing to do is stay off the roads when a winter storm like the one currently in the forecast hits.
With a half-inch of ice accumulation in many forecast models for the weekend, power outages could be a problem. Jolliff said think about how you'd want to live without power for at least a week.
"Do you have a generator? Do you need to get one? If you have a generator, what are you going to do about fuel for that generator? Do you have extension cords, whatever?" Jolliff said. "Can you set up auxiliary heat in a safe way if you're using any kind of auxiliary heaters? Are they vented? Are you doing this in a safe way to take care of your family? Take steps to preserve your food."
Jolliff said people should also check on their neighbors and anyone they might provide care for who doesn't live with them.
