CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (July 26, 2020) – AEP Texas crews began restoring electricity to customers left without power after Hurricane Hanna made landfall approximately 90 miles south of Corpus Christi on Saturday. Service crews began removing over 1,000 safety hazards caused by the storm and have initiated the damage assessment process.
Significant flooding and standing water throughout the Rio Grande Valley and in some parts of Corpus Christi and surrounding areas are slowing the assessment of damage to the electric system. High waters in some areas limit access to substations and other equipment. We thank customers in advance for their patience as we work to restore service to our customers.
Outages
As of 5 p.m., the number of outages in the affected regions of Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo totaled approximately 113,000, down from 200,000 early this morning. Some of the largest concentrations of outages are as follows:
Corpus Christi District
Rio Grande Valley District
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Pharr – 18,000
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McAllen – 8,800
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Mission – 12,300
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San Benito – 13,700
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Weslaco – 12,800
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Edinburg – 11,200
We ask that customers call the AEP Customer Solutions Center only to report downed power lines or safety hazards by calling (866) 223-8508.
Added Resources
Approximately 2,300 resources will be dedicated to the restoration effort in the impacted areas; this includes 1,300 resources from neighboring utilities in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Safety
All AEP Texas crews and mutual assistance personnel traveling to the impacted areas to assist in restoration are following strict COVID-19 safety guidelines, which include wearing a mask and practicing physical and social distancing. We ask that customers not approach crews for any reason as they are working on the restoration of service, especially due to enhanced COVID-19 safety guidelines.