AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: As of Feb. 9, this article is no longer being updated.
A Winter Storm Warning ended for much of Central Texas at 10 a.m. on Feb. 2, but the cleanup and power restoration efforts are ongoing.
The winter weather caused tree damage and widespread power outages that have persisted for days. Austin Energy confirmed this is the most significant power outage since the historic February 2021 freeze.
Here's a brief look at the current outages:
Check outages based on your provider: Austin Energy | Oncor | PEC | Bluebonnet
Austin Energy
As of 10:44 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, Austin Energy has 232 outages affecting 232 customers across the city. More than 99% of customers have power.
Austin Energy said in a 9:22 a.m. update Tuesday that since 6 p.m. Monday, it has restored power to 8,194 more customers for a total of 348,378 customers restored since the beginning of the weather event last Wednesday.
The company had previously said it expects to restore power to nearly all remaining customers by Sunday, Feb 12. However, as of Tuesday at 9:15 a.m., the company says power should be restored to the remaining customers "well before Sunday."
Previous reporting
Austin Energy told KVUE at approximately 7 a.m. Friday that since 1 a.m. Wednesday, there have been a total of over 304,157 customers without power. Since that time, power has been restored to over 300,485 customers as of 9 a.m. Sunday. Between 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday, power had been restored to 34,000 customers.
"If your power is still out, please be patient. We know you are frustrated. We are too. Remaining outages are complex, but there are close to 400 crew members from Austin Energy and neighboring utilities working to get customers back online," Austin Energy said in a tweet Friday morning.
On Thursday morning, Austin Energy's general manager provided an update to the public about the ongoing outages.
Residents who are in need of overnight shelter can report to One Texas Center, located at 505 Barton Springs Road, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. They will be transported via Capital Metro bus to an assigned shelter.
Austin Energy said Wednesday night that it expects to have all outages restored by 6 p.m. Friday. However, the provider said Thursday afternoon that it cannot provide a specific system-wide restoration time.
At 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Austin Energy stated that they are unable to provide a "specific system-wide restoration estimate" because "each individual outage has its unique challenges."
At 4:30 a.m. Thursday, Austin Energy said that crews restored power to some customers overnight, but they are dealing with repeated outages. Crews are also watching for lightning in the area to ensure it's safe for them to keep working. Austin Energy said conditions are expected to improve later in the day Thursday as crews get power back to more customers.
Austin Energy initially released the following tweet regarding the widespread outages Wednesday:
In a tweet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Austin Energy stated that customers might be without power for 12 to 24 hours:
At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Austin Energy provided another update stating that crews are still working to restore power. The company said that the outages are from the severe weather and not related to a statewide grid issue.
At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Austin Energy said that ice and tree limbs are still breaking as lineworkers work to restore power. The agency said its crews are making progress, but "there is still a lot to do and we're working as quickly and safely as possible."
Austin Energy's system was not allowing people to report outages on Wednesday night due via its website map or via text due to the high number of customers using the system. The utility's outage line was still available at 512-322-9100 but was experiencing long wait times.
Oncor
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, Oncor has 286 active outages affecting 5,649 customers in Travis, Williamson and Bastrop counties.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Oncor said it did not have an estimated time of restoration, but crews were fully engaged in restoring power and would be working as quickly and safely as possible to get power restored to customers.
Oncor said the biggest issue that arises with winter weather is ice accumulation on trees. It said ice accumulation can increase the weight of tree branches by 30 times, resulting in sagging and breakage.
Pedernales Electric Co-op
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, PEC has 15 outages affecting 97 meters. Nearly 100% of meters have power.
On Friday evening, PEC stated that members in the Liberty Hill, Bertram, Cedar Park, Round Mountain, Johnson City and the rural areas along West 290 toward Fredericksburg were still experiencing significant outages. Those outages were due to a multiple poles being broken and areas of wire being down.
On Thursday morning, PEC said that members in the Spring Branch and Bulverde communities continued to experience a prolonged outage. PEC said the outage was not due to equipment owned, operated or maintained by PEC, however, the co-op was working closely with its transmission service provider as it makes repairs to the equipment. PEC said it was hopeful that these members will have power later in the day Thursday.
On Wednesday afternoon, PEC provided an update, saying crews had been working around the clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
PEC explained their restoration efforts in the following statement:
"Though the ice is melting, this event is still ongoing and the damage across our service area is extensive. We are seeing an increased number of isolated outages that take time to repair. Our crews are making progress, but due to the widespread damage, it is difficult to provide a system-wide restoration time. It is possible that outages could extend into the weekend.
"There have also been challenges with substations and equipment owned by LCRA, our transmission service provider. We are working closely with them to make the necessary repairs to bring members in the Spring Branch and Bulverde area back online."
Bluebonnet Electric Co-op
As of 6:30 a.m. Monday, Bluebonnet has restored power to all customers.
On Friday morning, Bluebonnet said that overnight crews restored power to more than 2,000 members. Those crews will be joined by the dayshift beginning at 6 a.m., and the two shifts will overlap for a few hours, working together to repair damage and restore power to the remaining members who are currently in the dark.
Bluebonnet said Wednesday afternoon that due to the number of outages and extensive damage caused by trees and downed power lines, members should expect outages to last another 12 to 24 hours.
Bluebonnet said Wednesday evening that the hardest hit counties have been Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Lee and Burleson. It said the majority of outages have been due to ice accumulation on trees and power lines.