Every spring elicits two reactions from the average Texan: a celebratory goodbye to wintry weather, and a cautious greeting to the arrival of tornado season.

March marks the unofficial beginning of the roughly four-month period in Texas when tornadoes are most common. Since 1950, Texas has seen more than 9,800 tornadoes, more than 2/3 of which occurred between the months of March and June.

Tornadoes are among the most significant threats to Oncor’s infrastructure. Even the most relatively innocuous of twisters – those with an Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale rating of 0 – can produce wind gusts up to 85 miles per hour. Gusts like this can potentially damage power lines and utility poles, as well as cause trees or debris to come into contact with electrical equipment and create power outages.

As this year’s tornado season begins, know the measures to take before, during and after the storm to keep yourself and your family safe.

Before

·       Charge Up: Make sure your devices have plenty of battery in case the tornado causes a power outage.

·       Stock Up: Pack your storm safety kit with essential items such as a flashlight, batteries, a first-aid kit and bottled water.

·       Stay Tuned: Monitor local weather forecasts to remain informed on the storm’s development. You can also follow Oncor on social media, where our in-house meteorologist provides recurring weather updates.

·       Know the Alerts: Understand the differences between the National Weather Service’s (NWS) tornado alerts. A Tornado Watch means that a tornado is possible in your vicinity, while a Tornado Warning means a tornado has been confirmed and there is imminent danger.

During

·       Take Shelter: Move to a window-less room on the lowest floor of your home. If you are at work or school, take shelter according to your building’s tornado procedures.

·       Driving? It’s not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. Safely drive to the closest shelter, if you’re able. If you can’t, NWS says to either get down in your vehicle and cover your head or leave the vehicle and shelter in a ditch, ravine or other low-lying area.

After

·       Report Outages: If your home loses power, report your outage by calling 888-313-4747, by texting “OUT” to 66267, or by downloading and using the MyOncor app. Read more about Oncor’s power restoration process here.

·       Avoid Downed Lines: Never approach, touch, or attempt to move a downed power line or any objects or debris in contact with a downed power line. If you encounter a downed power line, leave the area immediately and call 911. The 911 operator will contact Oncor directly and manage the situation until our personnel arrive.

·       Damage Assessment: When it’s safe to do so, take time to assess the tornado’s damage to your property. Tornado damage has the potential to be significant. In some cases, Oncor may not be able to restore power to your home or business until you repair certain electric equipment. Click here to learn more.

SYSTEM RESILIENCY

As the largest electric utility in Texas, Oncor’s service area, which spans more than 54,000 square miles – roughly equivalent in size to the state of New York – has seen its fair share of tornadoes. Here’s how many tornadoes have occurred in the most populous Oncor service-territory counties over the last 20 years:

Source: National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database

Oncor recently began accelerated efforts to improve its system’s ability to better withstand and more quickly recover from extreme weather events, which will help substantially reduce the impact and duration of severe weather outages. As part of Oncor’s first-ever System Resiliency Plan (SRP), the company will invest approximately $3 billion in the resiliency of its distribution system within the next four years.

Visit oncor.com/resiliency to read more about the SRP.