Published: December 20, 2006 11:26 pm         

Transformer hit during storm takes out power to Emerson, Lincoln schools

Emerson Junior High School and and Lincoln Academy students got an unexpected added Christmas vacation day when lightning struck transformers at the two schools early Wednesday and destroyed wiring going into Emerson.

John Little, reg-ional manager for OG&E Electric Serv-ices, said the strike occurred about 5:30 a.m. and destroyed the transformer serving Emerson and burned out wires leading into the school. Residual lightning from the Emerson strike hit the transformer at Lincoln Academy, which adjoins Emerson. Wiring at Lincoln was not damaged.

“When our crews arrived at school, the transformer at Lincoln was too hot to work on for two hours. The oil inside was boiling,” Little said.

The damage caused Enid Public Schools to cancel classes at Emerson and Lincoln Wednesday. Enid Public Schools students will be on Christmas vacation today through Jan. 3.

Lightning went down the Emerson pole and destroyed about 250 feet of wiring going into the school. Crews estimated they could finish repairs Wed-nesday evening.

“We had a few more outages that night, but that was the most dramatic,” Little said.

About 400 customers in Enid were without power from about 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday, and about 30 customers were without power in North Enid Wednesday morning.

Garfield County Emergency Management Director Mike Honigsberg, said the emergency management tower was offline briefly due to lightning during thunderstorms that began about 4 a.m.

“There was nothing severe, just some thunderstorms,” he said.

Enid received a half inch of rain Wednesday, according to Honigsberg. Rainfall totals for Tuesday and Wednesday from Mesonet weather reporting stations throughout northwest Oklahoma topped 2 inches in Cherokee and Alva.

Some of the two-day totals recorded were: Alva, 2.44; Breckinridge, .65; Cherokee, 2.52; Fairview, 1.72; Kingfisher, 1.08; Lahoma, .90; Medford, .55; Watonga, 1.39; and Woodward, 1.88.