Thousands without power as high winds from Arctic freeze impact Texans statewide
While icy conditions were not present in the Fort Worth area Thursday, thousands were impacted by power outages statewide, including over 12,800 Oncor customers.
Winds in North Texas have reached 40-45 miles per hour in some areas and strong wind gusts are expected for most of Thursday. Oncor spokesperson Connie Piloto said Oncor electricians are ready to respond to any outages and extra contractors have been secured.
Strong winds in North Texas are part of an Arctic blast set to impact most of the United States this week.
Nearly 40,000 Texans were without power Thursday evening, which included customers outside of Oncor’s electric delivery service area.
Oncor announced on its website that thousands of electrical facilities, including stations and main feeder lines, underwent thorough air and ground inspections to prepare for high demand and cold temperatures.
“Should we experience power outages, our crews are ready to respond and will work around the clock to get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible—even on holidays,” Oncor said in its notice.
Piloto said if anyone sees a downed power line, they should stay away, keep others and pets away and call 911.
To prepare for a possible power outage, have a storm safety kit ready with batteries, a flashlight, a portable radio included and ensure all electronics are fully charged.
Here’s how to connect with Oncor and receive updates:
Download The MyOncor App (Available in the App Store and Google Play)
My Oncor Alerts (To register, text REG to 66267 or if registered, text OUT)
Call 888.313.4747
Electric outages Dallas - Fort Worth vicinity
Here is Oncor's power outages map. Outage information is sent from Oncor to the outage map every 10 minutes. Source: stormcenter.oncor.com
