Oklahomans might get electricity for Christmas

SKIATOOK, Oklahoma (AP) - More than 30,000 homes and businesses remained without power in the U.S. state of Oklahoma on Wednesday, more than a week after an ice storm hit the Midwest.

Customers in some rural areas were expected to be without power until Christmas, though Oklahoma’s utility companies predicted that most service would be restored by Thursday.

The two-day storm early last week caused 27 deaths in Oklahoma, most in traffic accidents, the state Medical Examiner’s office said.

President George W. Bush issued a major disaster declaration last Tuesday for seven Oklahoma counties battered by the ice storm. Federal funds will now be available to reimburse state and local governments for cleanup and infrastructure repairs.

Crews had restored power to all but 32,943 homes and businesses by Wednesday morning.

Oklahoma was hardest hit by the storm that struck the Midwest and Northeast last week. In the state of Kansas, where six deaths were blamed on the storm, about 24,000 customers remained without power Tuesday.