Restoration efforts continue in East Texas as Oncor teams and contractors work around the clock to clear debris, rebuild damaged electric infrastructure, and restore power to customers following Monday’s severe storm. The initial storm on June 4 brought flooding rain and destructive winds up to 70 mph. Flooding from additional rainfall and storms following Monday’s storm may hamper restoration work and create access challenges for field resources.

Oncor estimates that following the initial impact of the storm, some homes and businesses in hardest-hit areas will take several days to restore power, which include areas in Tyler, Canton, Jacksonville and Lindale.

A systematic process to restoring power is implemented during widespread outages. Oncor first focuses on restoring public and critical infrastructure such as hospitals, police and fire stations, and other public locations. Then, we assess the amount and type of damage, as well as accessibility and criticality to determine which areas will be restored next.

Oncor’s restoration process starts with damage evaluation efforts. During this initial phase, you may see Oncor employees and other contractors driving through a neighborhood or walking along power lines. Their work includes assessing damage to equipment and facilities, creating necessary work orders, and collecting information to inform other crews of the equipment that will be needed for each repair and the working conditions of a particular area. In many cases, customers may see workers come and go before power is restored in an area as they perform these, or other specialized tasks.

While continued progress has been made in making repairs, Oncor recognizes the frustration and challenges faced by customers who are still without power and appreciates their patience. It may take longer to restore power to some areas because of the amount of storm debris and the severity of damage to electric poles, lines, or other equipment.

Use caution around power lines

As homeowners and tree-trimming contractors continue the difficult work of clean-up and debris removal around their homes and businesses, Oncor urges everyone to put safety first and take extra precautions during this process.

If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1.

Do not attempt to trim, cut or remove trees or vegetation from your property if power lines are in the area. This work should be performed by certified professionals.

Fallen trees and debris may conceal these lines or other hazards. You should always assume a downed or low-hanging power line is energized and stay away. Additionally, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Keep pets, children and others away from the area.

Reconnects After Storm Damage

If there is damage to your customer-owned equipment, such as the meter base or weather head, you may need assistance from an electrician before Oncor can safely restore power. Please visit www.oncor.com/storm for more information.