TULSA, Okla. — January 27 marked the first time temperatures in the Tulsa metro got above freezing in more than 100 hours, according to 2 News meteorologists.
While it feels like time for a celebration, paramedics warn this is not the time to let our guards down.
WATCH: EMSA urges vigilance for another round of cold weather
“Neighborhoods, sidewalks, driveways—they have not been cleared,” said Riley Howard, paramedic and EMSA Special Events Coordinator. “They’re going to be slick and continue to thaw and refreeze for the next few days.”
Howard says this second wave of winter weather might make Tulsans complacent and more vulnerable to accidents.
Since the afternoon of January 23, EMSA responded to:
- 2 carbon monoxide calls
- 24 cold exposure emergency calls
- 98 slips and falls
- 33 car accidents
“I really do think people heeded the warnings pretty well. I think things could have been worse,” said Howard.
Tulsa firefighters responded to one accident Monday night that could have been much worse. Two young men, riding ATVs around a retention pond at 11th and Mingo. One of the ATVs went into the water.
Firefighters say the young man is OK.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the ATV was still submerged in the water.
Mason Wallace, who walks around the retention pond often with his dogs, was surprised to see the four-wheeler tracks.
“I wouldn’t be close to the ice, that’s for sure,” said Wallace.
Wallace says it appears the men, or someone else, tried their own rescue of the ATV.
“I don’t know what the hammer was for, but they left a hammer, and there are some straps like they were trying to pull it [the ATV] out at some point,” said Wallace.
In addition to avoiding dangerous situations, keep using common winter weather tips: take small steps to avoid falls, assume any damp or wet pavement is black ice, dress in layers, and limit time outside.
EMSA says people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma or COPD, should wear a mask or scarf to cover their mouths and noses when outside. That will keep warmer air in. The airways for vulnerable people can be more sensitive to extreme hot or cold weather.
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