More Than 200,000 Dallas-Area Customers Still Without Power Monday Night; Oncor Asks For Patience

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Oncor crews continue to work around-the-clock as damage assessment and restoration efforts are fully underway across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The peak number of outages as a result of Sunday’s storms was more than 350,000 customers. Since that time, power was restored to more than 80,000 customers.

The high winds from yesterday’s storm caused damage on scale of a tropical storm or higher and have left wide swaths of power lines and distribution equipment in need of repair. While crews will continue to work on restoration, these efforts have been heavily impacted by fallen trees, debris and poor road conditions. In these heavily damaged areas, many electric facilities will have to be reconstructed, and customers should be prepared for a multi-day outage event.

During an extended outage situation, customers are advised to have a backup plan, and a friend or family member they can stay with while restorations are underway. Oncor asks customers to please be patient, stay vigilant, and check on loved ones and neighbors who may be impacted by power outages.

To further support assessment and restoration efforts, Oncor has requested mutual assistance from utility partners across Texas and neighboring states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi and Missouri. These partners will be arriving in waves.

As restoration continues, please keep these post-storm safety tips in mind:

• If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 911. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Keep pets, children and others away from the area.

• 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.

• Use caution when traveling on the roadways, especially in areas with heavy debris and streetlights without power.

• If you are experiencing an emergency event, call 911 immediately.

Customers can report outages by calling 888-313-4747.