SWEPCO update: Nearly 10,000 customers restored overnight

Published: Mon, 06/19/23

SWEPCO update: Nearly 10,000 customers restored overnight


Refrigerated and frozen cases were largely bare Sunday morning at the Kroger in downtown Longview.
Tim Thorsen / News-Journal photo

Longview News-Journal
Staff report

MONDAY MORNING UPDATE (7 a.m.)

More than 9,000 sweltering Gregg County SWEPCO customers found relief overnight, as the power company continued to make progress in restoring power to county residents.

Overall, SWEPCO reduced the number of customers without service from about 160,000 to about 130,000.

SWEPCO said Sunday it is receiving help from across the region and nation.

Beginning late Saturday, both line crews and tree crews were arriving from a variety of locations and have now mobilized across our hardest hit districts. On Sunday, those crews, which include resources from AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power, Indiana & Michigan Power, and Kentucky Power as well as other mutual assistance partners from across the United States, are arriving and providing support.

Through mutual assistance, additional crews were called upon to aid in the effort to help. As a result, nearly 3,000 utility professionals have now joined forces to tackle the work and rebuild communities across northwest Louisiana, east Texas and the western communities in Arkansas following the continued onslaught of extreme weather.

There has not, however, been any change in the reported estimated restoration times:

SWEPCO outages (Monday, 7 a.m.)

County Outages Customers Affected
Bowie 377 32,532 1%
Camp 202 3,113 6%
Cass 363 7,707 4%
Franklin 3,785 4,387 86%
Gregg 21,077 59,395 35%
Harrison 12,917 20,661 62%
Hopkins 300 386 77%
Marion 1,038 2,197 47%
Morris 74 3,749 1%
Panola 480 5,649 8%
Rusk 233 12,904 1%
Shelby 57 3,853 1%
Smith 876 999 87%
Titus 1,635 7,786 20%
Upshur 3,994 6,584 60%
Van Zandt 45 2,305 1%
Wood 2,487 7,037 35%

SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE (7 p.m.)

SWEPCO made significant progress during the late-afternoon hours, restoring power to about 20,000 customers throughout its service area. As of 7 p.m., there were still 160,110 SWEPCO customers without power, out of the company's 543,650 customers (29%).

Closer to home, 30,362 Gregg County customers (51%) remain without power as we are nearing the fourth day since power was lost throughout much of East Texas. Additionally, there are 14,163 Harrison County customers without power. Those are the only two Texas counties with more than 5,000 customers affected.

Across the region, there are 7,445 customer outages in Arkansas, 64,523 in Texas, and 87,723 in Louisiana.

SWEPCO outages (7 p.m.)

County Outages Customers Affected
Bowie 1,048 32,478 3%
Camp 204 3,102 6%
Cass 850 7,691 11%
Franklin 4,401 4,401 100%
Gregg 30,324 59,265 51%
Harrison 14,163 20,674 68%
Hopkins 383 386 99%
Marion 1,157 2,179 53%
Morris 308 3,742 8%
Panola 560 5,669 9%
Rusk 1,719 12,896 13%
Shelby 5 3,916 <1%
Smith 890 1,002 88%
Titus 1,613 7,810 20%
Upshur 4,258 6,522 65%
Van Zandt 45 2,313 1%
Wood 2,488 7,037 35%

SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE (3 p.m.)

In the past four hours, SWEPCO has restored power to about 5,000 customers overall, though the number in Gregg County moved in the wrong direction.

At 3 p.m., the power company reported 31,217 Gregg County residents without power, a slight increase from 11 a.m. Overall, about 52% of county customers remain without power nearly 60 hours after the first storms raced through East Texas.

Work continues, though SWEPCO has made no change to its estimated restoration times:

SWEPCO outages (3 p.m.)

County Outages Customers Affected
Bowie 2,153 32,478 6%
Camp 277 3,102 8%
Cass 911 7,691 11%
Franklin 4,401 4,401 100%
Gregg 31,217 59,265 52%
Harrison 14,571 20,674 70%
Hopkins 383 386 99%
Marion 1,906 2,179 87%
Morris 399 3,742 10%
Panola 842 5,669 14%
Rusk 1,731 12,896 13%
Shelby 8 3,916 <1%
Smith 891 1,002 88%
Titus 2,151 7,810 27%
Upshur 4,581 6,522 70%
Van Zandt 45 2,313 1%
Wood 2,583 7,037 36%

SUNDAY MID-DAY UPDATE (11 a.m.)

In the past four hours SWEPCO reports having restored service to about 6,000 Gregg County customers, bringing the number of county residents without power to 30,756. The percentage of Gregg County customes without power has fallen today from 60% to 51%.

Overall, about 183,000 of the power company's 543,650 customers remain without power more than 50 hours after storms rolled through East Texas early Friday morning.

SWEPCO reported the following in its Sunday morning update:

Additional severe storms continue to sweep through SWEPCO service territory with more strong storms, lightning, wind damage and hail, possible on Father’s Day. In fact, overnight and early morning storms added an additional 21,000 customers, as of 9:30 a.m., Sunday without power.

While lightning and high winds will temporarily slow our response our work will not stop.

Our crews, together with more than 2,800 utility professionals from AEP Texas, Appalachian Power, Indiana & Michigan Power, and Kentucky Power as well as other support from Missouri and Oklahoma will continue undaunted as we work as safely and as quickly as possible to rebuild our power delivery system and restore everyone’s service.

SWEPCO outages (11 a.m.)

County Outages Customers Affected
Bowie 1,996 32,478 6%
Camp 293 3,102 9%
Cass 1,737 7,691 22%
Franklin 4,401 4,401 100%
Gregg 30,756 59,265 51%
Harrison 14,569 20,674 70%
Hopkins 383 386 99%
Marion 1,534 2,179 70%
Morris 633 3,742 16%
Panola 862 5,669 15%
Rusk 1,768 12,896 13%
Shelby 48 3,916 1%
Smith 889 1,002 88%
Titus 1,862 7,810 23%
Upshur 4,596 6,522 70%
Van Zandt 56 2,313 2%
Wood 2,586 7,037 36%

SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE (7 a.m.)

The number of SWEPCO customers without power rose overnight, with more than 188,000 customers now without power as we enter Day 3 since Friday morning's storms tore through East Texas.

SWEPCO has said that, as restoration work on the system continues, additional outages could occur until the transmission system is stabilized. Customers should continue to prepare to be without service for an extended period.

More than 36,000 of the nearly 60,000 Gregg County SWEPCO customers (60%) remain without power. For those still without power, Longview ISD is offering the chance to cool off and recharge your digital devices at Foster Middle School.

SWEPCO outages (7 a.m.)

County Outages Customers Affected
Bowie 1,278 32,478 3%
Camp 285 3,102 9%
Cass 981 7,691 12%
Franklin 4,401 4,401 100%
Gregg 36,139 59,265 60%
Harrison 14,477 20,674 70%
Hopkins 383 386 99%
Marion 1,534 2,179 70%
Morris 184 3,742 4%
Panola 943 5,669 16%
Rusk 1,818 12,896 14%
Shelby 513 3,916 13%
Smith 889 1,002 88%
Titus 1,968 7,810 25%
Upshur 4,336 6,522 66%
Van Zandt 56 2,313 2%
Wood 2,667 7,037 37%

SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE (9 p.m.)

More than 168,000 SWEPCO customers, including nearly 32,000 in Gregg County alone, remain without power as we close in on 40 hours since storms ravaged East Texas. 

SWEPCO said Saturday that the storms "left catastrophic damage in East Texas and Northwest Louisiana including significant impacts to transmission lines, the backbone of SWEPCO’s energy delivery network."

The power company previously reported that, at its peak, nearly a quarter-million SWEPCO customers lost power after the hurricane-force winds caused significant damage to the power delivery system across its service area. As of 1:30 p.m., Saturday, approximately 53,000 customers have had power restored.

According to SWEPCO, Friday’s storms caused major damage to SWEPCO’s transmission system with nearly 60 transmission and distribution stations affected and nearly 50 transmission lines forced out of service due to tree and structure damage caused by the extreme weather. SWEPCO’s utility poles and distribution wires serving individual homes and businesses also experienced extensive damage.

SWEPCO's updated restoration estimates are below:

Natchitoches District in Louisiana – 10 p.m., Tuesday, June 20

Texarkana District in Texas – 10 p.m., Wednesday, June 21

Longview District in Texas – 10 p.m., Friday, June 23

Shreveport District in Louisiana – 10 p.m., Saturday, June 24

SWEPCO outages (9 p.m.)

County Outages Customers Affected
Camp 269 3,102 8%
Cass 937 7,691 12%
Franklin 4,153 4,401 94%
Gregg 31,894 59,265 53%
Harrison 15,422 20,674 74%
Hopkins 383 386 99%
Marion 1,534 2,179 70%
Morris 120 3,742 3%
Panola 927 5,669 16%
Rusk 1,730 12,896 13%
Shelby 513 3,916 13%
Smith 889 1,002 88%
Titus 2,188 7,810 28%
Upshur 4,203 6,522 64%
Van Zandt 57 2,313 2%
Wood 2,533 7,037 35%

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE (11 a.m.)

Large swaths of Gregg County remain without power more than 24 hours after severe storms tore a path through East Texas early Friday morning.

According to a SWEPCO update at 11 a.m., more than 34,000 of the power company's 59,000 county customers (57%) were without power. In total, more than 200,000 SWEPCO customers remained without power Saturday, out of nearly 550,000 total customers (37%).

SWEPCO outages (11 a.m. Saturday)

County Outages Customers Affected
Bowie Fewer than 5 32,478 <1%
Camp 897 3,102 28%
Cass 852 7,691 11%
Franklin 4,248 4,401 96%
Gregg 34,207 59,265 57%
Harrison 17,481 20,674 84%
Hopkins 383 386 99%
Marion 1,534 2,179 70%
Morris 557 3,742 14%
Panola 1,878 5,669 33%
Rains 8 69 11%
Rusk 1,334 12,896 10%
Shelby 2,527 3,916 64%
Smith 882 1,002 88%
Titus 2,455 7,810 31%
Upshur 4,369 6,522 66%
Van Zandt 414 2,313 17%
Wood 3,183 7,037 45%

ORIGINAL STORY

The storms which struck East Texas early Friday morning could have long-lasting effects for the people of Longview and surrounding areas.

According to a SWEPCO update from Friday night, residents in the Longview service territory who are without power, could remain that way until late Friday, June 23.

The power company says that it has activated an "all-in response" to restore all affected customers in East Texas and northwest Louisiana. As of Friday night, nearly a quarter-million customers remained without power.

SWEPCO says that "due to excessive damage to our electrical facilities, SWEPCO customers should prepare for prolonged power outages and in some cases additional outages as we repair damage to our system. We will know more once damage assessment is completed."

SWEPCO offered the following restoration estimates, saying that service could be restored sooner.

 


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