Friday | April 30, 2021
All News

Medina EC crews (including crews from our southern offices), contractors and our power supplier are still working to repair damaged poles, lines and equipment. There were 7 servicemen who worked overnight while linemen who met maximum working times (24 hours) briefly rested. They were able to bring on many more meters. We started this morning with about 17% of meters still without power in Medina County and 7% without power in Uvalde County.

Ongoing Obstacles:

  • Damaged Transmission - equipment on transmission lines and the substation must be repaired first before we can bring power back on. They experienced extensive damage by the storm and have made much progress rebuilding this part of the infrastructure. These repairs are made by our power supplier and they have been working nonstop to make the necessary repairs.
  • Trees in lines - Our rights of way have been impacted by trees breaking on our lines and debris and contractors have been working to help clear the lines.
  • Road Conditions - Many areas are still very saturated and/or flooded. This makes it complicated for crews to access locations. We have brought in heavy equipment to assist, but flooding can add to the time of restoration.

Future Forecast:

There is rain in the forecast and Medina EC is monitoring that. Any additional rainfall will impact restoration efforts and could cause additional issues on the system.

We understand the frustrations of those who are still without power and Medina EC is doing everything possible to restore power. We have a helicopter doing more aerial assessments this morning. In addition, you may see crews patrolling the area. If crews are in your area but do not stop, they are preparing for the next steps and relaying information to our command center.

Restoration Estimates: Please note - these are only estimates and can change. We will post significant updates when we receive them. 

  • Castroville, Rio Medina and Dunlay – This area has experienced the most damage, specifically on the transmission side. Our power supplier continues to rebuild transmission lines. This has to be done first before MEC can work on bringing people back on in sections. This section alone had 17 transmission lines needing to be rebuilt. They are hopeful to have all transmission done by 5 p.m. then MEC can work on our part. Expect outages to go through the evening, at the least.
  • D’Hanis, Natalia – There are still about 121 meters off. Those are individual outages and linemen are working on restoring them. Power should be restored today for most meters, but we can not provide an exact time.
  • Hondo – As of 1:30 a.m. last night, a majority of the members in this area were restored. There are still some isolated outages that crews are working on individually. Power should be restored today for most meters, but we can not provide an exact time.
  • Uvalde - There are still about 232 meters out that crews are working to restore. Crews continue to address damage and fix equipment while restoring power. Power should be restored today for most meters, but we can not provide an exact time.

>> Latest CEO Update : https://youtu.be/2O_mmZ2tmas

Our next update will be at 5 p.m. unless there are significant updates prior to that.

 

Tips to remember:

- Report outages on SmartHub or by calling 1-866-632-3532.

- Do not approach downed power lines or poles. They could still be energized and are dangerous.

- Do not drive through flood waters. Turn around, don't drown!

- Unplug appliances and devices to prevent power surges to them.

- Keep refrigerators and freezers closed to help maintain the temperature.