CPS Energy crews restore all Memorial weekend outages

CPS Energy crews worked around the clock over the Memorial Day weekend to restore almost 37,000 customer outages resulting from ongoing severe weather.

On May 23, a major storm system moved through Greater San Antonio causing nearly 35,000 customers to lose power. Less than 24 hours later, ninety percent of those customers had electricity again. Crews virtually completed the restoration efforts before a second system rolled through, affecting nearly 1,900 additional customers.

“We thank our customers for their patience. Our crews began working to get the lights back on in the midst of Saturday’s weather and the work continued all the way through last night. We are extremely proud of their effort and the mutual aide contractors we were able obtain as utilities in our region dealt with, or prepared for potential outages,” said Jelynne LeBlanc-Burley, EVP & Chief Delivery Officer. “Most importantly, everyone went home to their families safe.”

Customer service representatives also assisted customers with reports of wires down, outages, and other emergency issues during the holiday weekend. Several other areas of the company also responded, including Gas, Purchasing, and Community Engagement.

The storms came at the onset of Hurricane Preparedness Week, which is being recognized May 24 – 30. Forecasts call for the possibility of a continuation of similar weather patterns this week.

Some tips to help customers prepare for power outages include:

• Be prepared. Keep flashlights, batteries and other important items available for an unexpected power outage.
• Keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible. Refrigerated food should be safe as long as power is out no more than four hours.
• If it looks like the power outage will last more than four hours, pack perishable items (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products and leftovers) into a cooler surrounded by ice, or coordinate refrigeration storage with a family or friend unaffected by outages. See How to Keep Food Safe (FDA) for more tips.

• Stay informed. Check CPS Energy’s outage map, Facebook and Twitter sites; and, if possible, seek local TV or radio station weather reports.
• Stay away from downed power lines and call (210) 353-HELP (353-4357) to report them. DO NOT attempt to move or drive over the lines.
• If a home or business is flooded, do not enter standing water unless the main power has been shut off.
• Use surge protectors for electrical equipment such as stereos, TVs and computers to help protect them during storms and power restoration.

Visit CPS Energy’s Outage Center for more details.