TULSA, Okla., January 13, 2025 – Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) received the Emergency Response Award, one of the highest accolades in the electric utility industry, from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) for its exemplary response to the Barnsdall Tornado of May 2024.
On May 6th, an EF-4 tornado with winds reaching up to 175 mph hit Barnsdall, Oklahoma, causing widespread destruction to homes and businesses. The tornado also severely damaged the town's electrical grid leaving behind bent steel structures, hundreds of snapped poles and broken wires. PSO crews, consisting of about 650 linemen, forestry personnel, and support staff worked tirelessly to restore power to more than 8,000 customers.
It took crews only 3 days to repair 99% of the damage.
“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication our crews put into storm restoration, working around the clock to restore power to a community after a devastating tornado,” said PSO President Leigh Anne Strahler. “In a matter of days, the electrical grid was virtually rebuilt from the ground up, work that was made much easier with the support of community leaders and first responders.”
EEI’s Emergency Response Awards internationally recognize recovery and assistance efforts of electric companies following service disruptions caused by extreme weather or other natural events.
“Throughout 2024, America’s electric companies and their dedicated workforce answered the call to help restore power and hope to communities impacted by extreme weather events and natural disasters,” said EEI interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn. “EEI commends PSO for its efforts to respond safely and efficiently to the aftermath of the Barnsdall Tornado. PSO and its storm response team are extremely deserving of this well-earned recovery award.”
About PSO
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), is an electric utility company serving nearly 575,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma, powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and 232 communities. Based in Tulsa, PSO has approximately 4,400 megawatts of diverse generating capacity that primarily includes wind and natural gas. It maintains and operates more than 20,000 miles of distribution lines and 3,800 miles of transmission lines and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. Find news releases and other information at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor and Instagram @PSOklahoma.
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