Power outages in Dallas-Fort Worth will mostly be fixed by Friday night, Oncor estimates
More than 235,000 Oncor customers are still without power Wednesday afternoon following severe thunderstorms that swept through the Dallas-Fort Worth area Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Oncor official Grant Cruise said in a news release that power has already been restored to more than 400,000 customers as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. Teams have been working 16-hour shifts around the clock since early Tuesday morning.
“We estimate that restoration will be substantially complete by Friday evening, weather permitting,” Cruise said. “Harder hit areas are expected to be restored Saturday.”
The storms left more than 650,000 customers without electric service, according to the release. Fallen trees, flooding and debris have hindered the restoration efforts.
In the most heavily damaged areas, Oncor crews are having to replace damaged poles and transformers and install new power lines.
“We recognize the hardships and inconveniences customers experience after severe storms like this one and remain focused on restoring power as quickly and safely as possible,” Cruise said in the release.
Oncor officials recommend customers try to find other accommodations if their power isn’t on and check on elderly or vulnerable residents.
If the meter base or weatherhead has been damaged on a home or business, customers will need to contact an electrician to repair the issue before Oncor can restore power. A city inspection may also be required in those cases.
Residents can report a power outage or check the status of their outage by calling 888-313-4747, texting OUT to 66267, downloading the MyOncor app or through the Oncor website at stormcenter.oncor.com.
If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 911. In addition to the line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified, Oncor said. The utility advised residents to not attempt to remove debris and tree limbs from areas near power lines.
Nearly 5,000 additional workers have been deployed to help with the restoration efforts, the release said. Mutual assistance utility partners from eight states have arrived to help, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and Virginia.
About 4 p.m. Wednesday, more than 160,000 of the customers without power were in Dallas County, over 19,000 in Collin County, over 5,000 in Denton County and over 4,000 in Tarrant County.
This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 10:57 AM.
