Q&A With Tulsa City Crews As They Prepare For Winter Weather

Tulsa city crews are getting ready for the winter storm that’s set to move into the area Thursday.

They have thousands of gallons of brine and tons of salt ready to treat the roads before the snow even falls.

We’re only expected to get one to three inches of snow in Tulsa, but they still want people to be aware and be ready.

WHEN WILL CREWS START TREATING THE ROADS?

The City of Tulsa street crews will start treating the streets hours before the snow is supposed to start in this area.

"[Thursday] morning at 2 o'clock, we'll actually bring our brine crews and they'll start treating all the bridges and overpasses, hills, and some of the downtown area,” said Leon Kragel, the Operation Manager for the Public Works Street Maintenance Division. “About 6 o'clock tomorrow morning, the rest of the crews will show up, and we'll pay attention to what the weather is going to bring us."

WHAT RESOURCES DOES THE CITY HAVE?

Kragel says the city has 40,000 gallons of brine, 8,500 tons of salt, and 70 trucks ready to go for the winter weather.

He says the process is similar to last year but with one new addition.

"We have a new product which is a calcium chloride,” said Kragel. “If the temperatures stay cold, which we're not expecting to, especially over the weekend, then we would look at mixing that with our salt brine."

The city says it’s important for drivers to be at least 150 feet behind brine trucks and snowplows.

HOW SHOULD YOU PREPARE FOR THE STORM?

Joseph Kralicek, the Executive Director of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency, says people should start getting prepared now for the storm.

"Make sure that their houses are ready to deal with cold weather, your hoses are disconnected, which they should have been anyways with all the cold that we've had,” said Kralicek. “You have supplies of medicine, food, enough to get you through three days."

Kralicek says it’s also a good idea to check in on your animals and loved ones.

"Make sure you're keeping an eye on your pets, if you have any elderly family members or neighbors, you might want to check on them, make sure that they're prepared and that they're aware of what's going on,” said Kralicek.

Kragel says it’s also important to make sure your homes and cars are ready to go.

"They need to make sure their car is in correct order, with the antifreeze and things,” said Kiragel. “They have blankets in the back, food, medicine. That sometimes is very important if you get stranded along the road. We need to make sure that sprinkler systems are off. We got several calls today that the sprinkler systems were on in some locations and we had to go treat those small spots. So if they see a water break, report it as soon as possible."

WILL I LOSE POWER?

Kralicek says they don’t anticipate any issues with power or water, and the main focus will be on road conditions.

"The amount of snowfall that's currently forecast we don't believe is going to be a major impact to any of the community lifelines,” said Kralicek. “What we're looking at is short-term impacts to travel, especially for those on the bridges and overpasses. Right now, this is a typical winter snowfall. We're looking, just a couple inches of snow, it's not something that's going to really impact our utility systems. The power's going to stay on, the water's going to keep going, toilets are going to flush. Within a couple of days, all of this is going to melt."

WHICH ROADS ARE THE CITY GOING TO TREAT?

The City of Tulsa has a list of the roads it is responsible for treating here: City of Tulsa

WHERE CAN I GO TO GET WARM?

The City of Tulsa has information on shelters here: Winter Weather Information | Housing Solutions Tulsa

HOW CAN I HELP?

The City of Tulsa says you can donate winter gear like warm blankets, hats, gloves, and socks, and can donate to the Tulsa Day Center.

You can also donate money to local shelters and outreach teams.

If you are interested in opening an overflow shelter location visit www.cityoftulsa.org/weather and click the “Warming Stations” drop-down.

WHERE CAN I REPORT WATERLINE BREAKS?

If you suspect a waterline break, first check this website: www.cityoftulsa.org/breakboard if it isn’t there, call 918-596-9488.