EAST TEXAS (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Tom Trimble of Oncor said that the utility’s line crews are facing dangerous road conditions as they work to restore service in Cherokee, Nacogdoches, and Angelina counties.
“We have Oncor personnel working across the area,” Trimble said. “The work has progressed slowly throughout the night and into the day due to the dangerous road conditions.”
Oncor asks its customers to help prevent additional power outages by monitoring their heating systems once service is restored. The utility is concerned about initial overload, which occurs when all appliances are turned on simultaneously after power is restored.
“Go to your thermostat or air-conditioning control and turn it off,” Trimble said. “When the power comes back, lower the temperature to the minimum and then turn it back on.”
This process helps balance the electrical load arriving at the system. If all heating systems are activated at once, it could trigger another power outage and force crews to restart restoration work, according to Trimble.
Trimble noted that Oncor has deployed all available personnel to the affected areas, including contractors from Dallas, Sulphur Springs, Paris, Waco, and Austin. Hundreds of workers are operating in the Jacksonville, Nacogdoches, and Lufkin areas.
“We anticipate a large number of people will have service restored tonight,” Trimble said. “Some may have to wait until tomorrow morning.”
Crews will continue working overnight and into tomorrow, if necessary, to restore power to all customers who may be able to receive service.
Trimble urged drivers to keep a safe distance from the utility crews on the roads, due to the risk that vehicles could slip and crash into tow trucks because of icy conditions.
As of 3 p.m., 36,856 power outages have been reported in the following counties:
Nacogdoches County: 8,196 customers
Shelby County: 8,915 customers
Cherokee County: 5,523 customers
Panola County: 5,453 customers
Rusk County: 5,197 customers
Van Zandt County: 33 customers
Sabine County: 1,244 customers
Cass County: 1,518 customers
San Augustine County: 777 customers
