On May 25, a tornado and related severe storms caused widespread damage in the Claremore area. The National Weather Service confirmed that the long-track supercell was extensive, issuing an EF3 rating with an estimated peak wind speed of 145 to 155 miles per hour and a path length of 23.9 miles.
According to the Claremore Emergency Management Team, approximately 800 homes were damaged by the storm, along with multiple businesses and public facilities.
Over the past 18 days, the City of Claremore, first responders, volunteers and neighboring communities have worked tirelessly to restore power, repair extensive damage, and remove storm debris and green waste. Claremore Power & Light, supported by 12 communities from the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO) and GRDA, has successfully restored power to the city. Customers with significant storm damage to their home electrical infrastructure have been notified that repairs are required before power can be reinstated.
“Initial estimates suggested it would take three to four weeks to restore power in Claremore,” said Claremore City Manager John Feary. “However, with the support of our public power partners and Claremore Power & Light, we have significantly surpassed those timelines. I am deeply grateful to the lineworkers, volunteers, employees and our community for their collaborative efforts in restoring operations.We have begun the administrative process of economic recovery alongside debris removal and restoration of our homes and facilities.”
In addition to fully restoring the City’s electric grid, the following operations have been restored:
- All sanitation routes are once again fully operational and all public streets open.
- Public safety operations have returned to normal operations.
- Major repairs to Cox Communications infrastructure in Claremore have been completed, but they continue to work to help customers without service in a few specific areas with the worst damage to Cox lines, equipment, and homes. If you can’t connect to Cox in a home with no discernable damage, you may have an individual line issue which will require them to send a technician to get it repaired. If you have restarted your Cox equipment and still can’t connect, please contact Cox immediately at (888) 269-9693 or use the online SmartHelp tool to schedule a visit with a technician.
Ongoing storm recovery efforts include:
- The City will continue to collect and remove green waste from city rights-of-way. Residents should stack green waste debris, such as tree limbs and brush, in lengths of 10 feet or less next to the road for pickup, ensuring it is away from gas and water meters.
- Damage to homes or businesses should be reported via damage.ok.gov to help provide a comprehensive understanding of the storm’s impact.
- The State of Oklahoma has requested a disaster declaration from FEMA, and is hopeful that personal assistance resources will be available to individual citizens soon.
As a precautionary measure to reduce the potential fire hazard posed by the extensive storm debris throughout Claremore, the City will not issue Fireworks Permits to individual residents within the city limits for the 2024 season. Instead, the City will host a free fireworks display and Independence Day Spectacular at Claremore Lake on Saturday, June 29, at 9:30 p.m. Extensive planning and preparation have ensured that this event can proceed safely. Additionally, other community fireworks displays that have received commercial permits, such as those hosted by Destiny Life Church, Elks Lodge and Claremore Assembly of God, will continue as planned. Fireworks stands will also remain open, continuing their important role as popular fundraising ventures.
Several resources are still available to those residents impacted by the storm, including clean-up support and mitigation. Citizens and businesses can learn more by visiting https://claremore.com/tornadorecovery/.