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…