UPDATE (Thursday 10:45 a.m.) City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates provided this update:
“We are pleased our crews and contractors have made substantial progress in the restoration process. This storm caused over 350,000 power outages. Currently there are approximately 9,000 customers within the city of Dallas without electric service due to the storm. In some areas where there is major structural damage; it is necessary to reconstruct much of the infrastructure before electric service can be restored. More than 2,500 mutual assistance personnel from Alabama Power, CenterPoint, Texas New Mexico Power, American Electric Power, Entergy (Louisiana), Mississippi Power, and El Paso, are working with us to restore service.
We are still on target to complete the vast majority of power restorations by this evening. Customers in hard-hit areas may see restoration times on Thursday.
In an effort to prevent frustration and help avoid the possibility of extended outages, we are encouraging those customers who are without power and are able to examine their meter base and weatherhead; to confirm this equipment has not been damaged or pulled off. (A graphic illustrating this potential issue is below.)
If damage has occurred, Oncor will be unable to restore power until a licensed electrician makes the necessary repairs first. It is imperative customers requiring a city inspection use a licensed contractor in accordance with the city’s Emergency Power Release policy.”
Previously reported
“Oncor crews continue working to restore service as safely and quickly as possible. We anticipate assistance from our neighboring utility partners tomorrow. This storm created significant damage throughout our city which will take some time to repair and restore. There was storm damage to several critical facilities such as hospitals and water pump stations, these are a priority, as these facilities provide a vital service to our city and can impact health and safety. Crews will continue to work throughout the night and until everyone’s service is restored. Customers should plan for a multi-day outage.”
Here are her tips: