This morning, Hurricane Ike passed through Oncor's service area, primarily in its Eastern Region, with winds up to 90 mph causing power outages throughout the area. Oncor is ready to begin the restoration process after the hurricane moves north and out of the area.
Throughout Oncor's south east service area there are more than 100,000 homes and businesses without power. This area consists of Angelina, Nacogdoches, Cherokee, Anderson, Henderson, Van Zandt, Smith, Rusk and Gregg Counties. Oncor is prepared for potential extended outages, which in some locations could last up to several days, due to the damage that the hurricane has caused.
The Dallas/Fort Worth area is beginning to feel the effects of Hurricane Ike. High winds are expected in the area, possibly strong enough to blow tree limbs and debris into power lines and causing additional extensive outages.
"Oncor is evaluating the damage Hurricane Ike is causing," said Brenda Pulis, Oncor Senior Vice President, Distribution. "Our crews are prepared and ready to begin the restoration process. In these situations, the safety for our crews, contractors and the people we serve comes first."
During storms it is important to remember:
- During restoration, Oncor first works to restore electricity to emergency public service agencies, such as police and fire departments and hospitals and then works to restore power safely to as many customers as possible with each repair.
- Steer clear of Oncor crew work areas. Equipment and energized lines may be in the area that could create a safety hazard.
- When driving, watch for crews working along the roadways, and obey all traffic signs and directions around work areas.
- Consumers should call the outage phone number on their electric bill to report the power is out, so that Oncor has a record of the outage, especially in remote areas. Consumers can help by having the last seven numbers of ESI ID from their electric bill when reporting the outage.
- Beware of power lines "” contact with power lines can seriously injure or even kill someone. If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Do not touch the power line or anything else touching it. Make sure there are no downed lines before allowing children and pets out to play.
- Avoid debris lying on the ground, as it may conceal downed power lines.
- When leaving your home and the power is off, turn off the main breaker as a precaution until power is restored.
Oncor is a regulated electric distribution and transmission business that provides 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 Corp., Oncor is a separate entity with a separate board that is comprised of a majority of independent directors.