Kalle Benallie
ICT
Tribes are responding to the extreme winter storm in the United States by notifying citizens and making arrangements for warming shelters.
Forecasters warned that the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival a hurricane. Airlines canceled thousands of flights, churches moved Sunday services online and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Carnival parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.
At least 177 million people were under watches or warnings for ice and snow and more than 200 million were under cold weather advisories or warnings. In many places, those overlapped. Utility companies braced for power outages because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after a storm has passed.
It’s expected to begin Friday and continue through the weekend.
The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation’s emergency operations center in North Dakota warned their citizens of extreme cold weather. Some of their warnings include: stay inside, don’t travel unnecessarily and ensure the propane tank is filled.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Communications in South Dakota said their Emergency Operations Center is available to take calls and had wood delivered to tribal community centers on Wednesday.
“We ask everyone to check on elders, family members, and neighbors, and ensure pets have proper food and shelter during this dangerous cold. Stay safe and take care of one another,” the tribe said on Facebook.
The Hopi Tribe’s law enforcement services in Arizona issued a public advisory to allow extra travel time, increase following distance, avoid sudden braking, prepare emergency supplies and to wear a seatbelt.
The Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma said essential employees, as deemed by managers, directors, or supervisors will be on stand-by to address any emergency requests that may arise.
They also advised to contact the local MCN Chartered Community Center for additional resources as some may be operating as a warming station.
The tribe’s executive office and Emergency Management Department are monitoring the weather and will release additional updates as necessary.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation had workers pretreat roads with salt brine while the Highway Patrol canceled troopers’ days off.
The federal government put nearly 30 search and rescue teams on standby. Officials have more than 7 million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators placed throughout the area the storm was expected to cross, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The White Earth Nation in Minnesota said the White Earth Behavioral Health staff will remain on-call to support urgent needs.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians in Michigan and Indiana said their clinic and pharmacy are closed but the PHS café will be operating as a warming center until Jan. 30.
The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut said to escape the cold by visiting their Tantaquidgeon Museum until Saturday afternoon.
Ice, snow and sleet could begin falling later Friday in Texas and Oklahoma. The storm was expected to slide into the South with freezing rain and sleet. Then it will move into the Northeast, dumping about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Washington, D.C., through New York and Boston, the National Weather Service predicted.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.