The City of Tulsa, Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA), and various community partners have mobilized resources for extreme cold temperatures and winter weather coming to Tulsa this week.
Extreme cold is expected to enter the area starting Monday night and continue through Friday. With wind chill values in the negative double-digits, exposure to these types of temperatures are life-threatening and can lead to frostbite and hypothermia.
During these temperatures, Tulsans are encouraged to stay inside whenever possible, check on their neighbors, and be prepared both at home and while traveling. These temperatures can also have an impact on waterline breaks and water pipes inside people’s homes. Residents are asked to take precautions now to protect their pipes, including covering all outside faucets; opening inside cabinets on outside walls; and preparing to drip inside faucets.
For additional safety tips and information about extreme cold weather, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/weather.
Getting People Inside
Outreach teams from A Way Home for Tulsa agencies are working to ensure those experiencing homelessness have knowledge of safe and warm spaces available to them.
As part of ongoing operations, two overflow shelters will open on Monday, February 17, at 2 p.m.
New overflow shelters include:
Overflow shelters will be in addition to the existing network of services available at:
For the latest information on additional warming stations and emergency shelters, visit Housing Solutions’ Winter Weather Resources page.
What to Do if You Encounter Someone Unhoused and in Need of Help
In an Emergency: Call 911 immediately for urgent medical or safety concerns.
Request Outreach Assistance: If someone needs help from an outreach team on-site, fill out an Outreach Request Form and someone will be sent to check on them as quickly as possible.
How You Can Help
Donate Winter Gear: Items such as clean blankets, hats, gloves, and socks are greatly needed. Donations can be made at Tulsa Day Center, 415 W. Archer.
Support Local Shelters: Monetary contributions to local shelters and outreach teams ensure quick and flexible support where it’s most needed. Check Housing Solutions’ Facebook page, @HousingSolutionsTulsa, for additional items needed.
f you’re an organization interested in opening as an overflow shelter location during weather events, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/weather and click the “Warming Stations” drop down.
Metro Link Tulsa
In addition to opening Denver Avenue Station as a warming station, all ride fares will be FREE from Feb. 18-20.
Street Preparations
City street crews are watching the forecast and preparing to respond to winter weather on Tuesday. Initial plans are to have brine crews (crews who apply salt/water mixture to roads) treat elevated surfaces ahead of the change to all snow Tuesday afternoon. Currently, crews are scheduled to come in at midnight on Tuesday and respond until all of Tulsa’s main roads are passable. The City will make adjustments to this plan based on the most updated forecasts and additional details will be provided on Monday.
As background, the City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from all arterial (main) streets, but not from most major highways that pass through. The only highways the City treats are the Gilcrease Expressway (except for the Turnpike extension), and the L.L. Tisdale Expressway. All other highway segments in Tulsa (i.e. I-44, I-244, Broken Arrow Expressway, the Creek Turnpike, Highway 169, etc.) are the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
The City's snow and ice routes, in addition to the resources the City has to treat Tulsa's roads, can be found online at www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness.
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