DALLAS (Sept. 5, 2022) – Oncor employees and contractors worked through the night to restore power to more than 80,000 customers after a line of storms caused extensive outages in the DFW area Sunday afternoon.

The line of severe thunderstorms intensified rapidly and moved over the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex causing excessive lightning, quarter-inch hail and wind speeds of up to 65 mph. Lightning and light rain continued through much of the afternoon and into the evening as the storms weakened and moved south.

Oncor restoration teams were deployed as soon as it was safe for them to begin the damage assessment and restoration process and continued working through the night.  

The wind gusts caused excessive tree damage and toppled trees and branches have significantly damaged electric equipment.

Oncor urges customers to please keep these safety tips in mind:

If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Do not touch the power line or anything else touching it. It may not look dangerous, but it could still be.

Do not attempt to remove debris and tree limbs from areas near power lines. The debris may be concealing a live wire or downed power line, a risk that could potentially injure or even kill you.

Keep an emergency kit handy. The kit should include a flashlight, battery-powered or crank radio, bottled water and extra batteries if needed. Check out www.oncor.com/safety for a storm safety kit diagram.

Exercise extreme caution if using candles during a power outage. Always keep candles away from flammable objects and never leave them burning unattended.

Think about your safety and comfort. Go to a friend or family member’s home or a public location like a library that has power.

If you need immediate, emergency help, call 9-1-1​.