Major storms deliver thousands of lightning strikes and outages; crews working to get power back on
Two back-to-back major thunderstorms within a nearly 24-hour window left tens of thousands of customers without power today and yesterday. CPS Energy crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore all impacted customers.
A storm system that came in overnight has now completely cleared the Greater San Antonio area after knocking out power to more than 37,000 customers. Crews working all across the city are bringing customers back online, reducing the number of those still affected to roughly 14,300.
Today’s outages doubled the number from yesterday from a storm that began around 3:30 a.m., delivering an estimated 7,000 lightning strikes . Restoration efforts for more than 17,000 customers went throughout the day, with the number dropping below 1,000 before 5 p.m. Crews then began to focus on isolated, smaller outages spread across the city. Efforts were underway to restore the final 14 customers when this morning’s storm entered the area about 3 a.m., resulting in new outages.
CPS Energy advised customers through its social media channels this morning to be prepared for an all-day restoration effort, and make backup plans. Customers are advised to:
- avoid down power lines – treat them as if they are live and DO NOT touch them; report any down lines at 353-4357 (HELP).
- report an outage using a mobile device at cpsenergy.com or call 353-4357 (HELP).
- leave the refrigerator and freezer doors closed to keep cold air trapped in for as long as possible.
- use a chest with ice for short-term perishables like milk, dairy products, cold cuts, etc. or transfer food to the home of a family friend or loved one not affected by the storm.
- use caution with candles in the evening hours, keeping them away from flammables and not leaving them unattended.
- use surge protectors or unplug appliances to prevent damage from a power surge during restoration.
Additional power outages tips are available at cpsenergy.com.
