DALLAS - (Business Wire) A major storm is moving through Oncor
’s service area today, leaving downed power lines and power outages in its wake.
The storm hit Oncor’s system fast and hard with extremely high winds and heavy rain causing the outages. Winds in excess of 70 mph have been reported.
“With winds of this high speed, you’re going to experience outages,” said Brenda Pulis, Oncor Senior Vice President, Distribution. “Not only did we have the heavy storm that hit this afternoon, but more bad weather may come through this evening. As a result, many of these outages may be extended. We urge consumers to be patient and stay safe by staying away from downed power lines while Oncor works to restore power.”
As of 4 p.m., Oncor has approximately 101,000 outages system-wide, with 85,000 of those concentrated in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. While there are outages all across the Metroplex, north and northeast Dallas County were affected most severely, especially in University Park and Highland Park, where the majority of outages have been caused by trees being blown into power lines. Trees have also been the cause of downed power lines throughout the area. The storm is still pounding East Texas as it makes it way across the state.
Oncor has crews and contractors working throughout its service area, as well as crews from other utilities, to restore power and has even moved Oncor crews from locations without outages into the hardest hit areas. At this moment, Oncor is assessing damage to its system. With the likelihood of more bad weather tonight, it is too early for Oncor to give an estimate of when all of the power will be restored.
Oncor asks those affected by power outages to call the number on their electric bill to report the problem. If there are downed power lines in the area, Oncor warns all consumers to stay away and call 9-1-1.
Oncor is a regulated electric distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, providing power to 3 million electric delivery points over more than 102,000 miles of distribution and 14,000 miles of transmission lines. While Oncor is a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings, Oncor is a separate entity with a separate board that is comprised of a majority of independent directors.
Oncor Communications
Megan Wright, 972-791-6200
