Ice Storm of 2010
Snyder residents are beginning day three of no power and the first day of no water with ice covered trees and a thin layer of snow on the ground.
According to Terry Taylor, Snyder Police Department, water should be back on by tonight. The National Guard is bringing a FEMA generator from Oklahoma City for the water plant.
I spoke with PSO this morning and their latest estimate for power restoration is 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Emergency shelter is being provided at First Baptist Church for anyone who needs a place to stay and/or a warm meal. Working with the Red Cross and Salvation Army, they have food, water, and cots and have rented a generator for power. Pastor Jeff Flowers said they fed 60 people last night and had six overnight guests. Soup was being prepared for today's lunch when I spoke with him. He said food had been brought in by the school and Salvation Army and many others.
The Snyder Police Department phone, 580-569-4115, is being manned 24/7 with officers on duty to provide any help needed. Officer Terry Taylor reported there have been no fires or major emergencies so far. Officers Taylor, John Phipps, reserve officer Adam Ney, and Jerry Taylor have been manning the police department and patrolling.
Most of these arrangements are due to the efforts of Snyder Vice Mayor Teresa Mills. After realizing the police phone was not working yesterday morning, and finding the mayor at home in his pajamas and city business with no guidance, she took matters in hand and started contacting people to get phone service set up and personnel in place to handle the emergency. She worked with Water Superintendent Mark Shelton and electrical contractor Stan Holland to contact FEMA to get the generator on its way, and with FBC getting the shelter set up.
In addition, Mills has gone door to door several times in the freezing cold, checking on residents in Snyder and Mountain Park to make sure everyone was safe. This community owes her a debt of gratitude for all she has done.
Levi Moss, Kiowa County District 3 EMS, said they initially transported critical patients from Ayers Nursing Home to Frederick Hospital where they had power, and have kept tabs on several area oxygen patients to assure that they are ok. They also rescued some Roosevelt residents who were trapped in their homes due to the ice. He was pleased to report there have been no accidents due to the ice and roads are clearing. EMS also assisted in setting up the shelter at FBC.
All in all, even though some of us may think we have it rough, we are fortunate to have people working to take care of things, and we hopefully will come out of this no worse for wear. If nothing else, we have learned some things that need to be done for future emergencies.
Again, for assistance, call Snyder Police Dept., 569-4115 or First Baptist Church, 569-2944.
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First I would like to say that a large majority of arrangements that were made in Snyder were are a result of the Snyder Police Department not Teresa Mills. Teresa is quick to take credit any chance she can get whether or not it is deserved. Credit should be given where it is deserved. The police department was been working tirelessly (in the freezing cold all day and night) to keep this city running smoothly. Alot of people are quick to judge the police department but no one wants to give recognition to the job they do. The city doesnt see the negetivity and crime that is within this city due to the efforts of the police department, those that are so quick to judge get to sleep well at night. So many are so quick to judge what they do not know. Over the last few months the crime rate in Snyder has dropped the Police department has recieved equipment and uniforms at no cost to the city due to the efforts of the Chief and Asst. Chief. Several positive programs have been started and yet not one article has been written about any of these things. I wish the complainers, the whiners and the control freaks would check their egos at the door and recognize the positive impact that the police department has on this city and stop letting the people that run their mouths the loudest rule the city.
ReplyDeleteBaHaHaHaHa, that comment was almost too funny for words. Obviously you are one of the one sided people that you refer to in your comment. It is so sad that people can not work together as a community without someone like you having to get all draumatic about the police department not getting enough recognition. I think that all the people involved, including the police department did a great job in keeping everything running smoothly. I worked at the church nearly nonstop from the minute the generator was hooked up through the evening that the power was restored. But, you see that is the difference in myself and some people, I don't need the recognition that you so badly long for. I did it to help people, not for the "glory" or to "shine" and have my name in the news. Grow up people and work together and maybe we can have a great town again soon. And, by the way, I saw Theresa many times during this disaster and she was never sitting down. She worked herself ragged and never asked for anything in return. Our mayor, on the other hand, only showed up at the shelter a couple of times for free food and at other meals sent his daughter down there to pick it up for him. I'm not sure what his role is or should be, but I am very disappointed in the way he handled the situation. Teresa deserves a big pat on the back and a great "BIG THANK YOU!!"
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