CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (September 16, 2021; 8 p.m.) – Water moccasins and rattlesnakes are just a few of the challenges faced by some of the AEP Texas crews working to restore power in the aftermath of Hurricane Nicholas.

Since the storm made landfall early Tuesday, crews have achieved the 98 percent restoration level. The largest concentration of remaining outages are located near the communities of Wadsworth and Matagorda Island near Bay City where downed utility poles and tree limbs caused significant outages.

As of 8 p.m. approximately 218 customers were still without power, as compared with the approximately 14,900 at the peak of the storm. AEP Texas crews will continue their restoration efforts until all customers who can take power are restored. 

Crews working their way across Matagorda Island reported several snake sightings as they repaired damaged utility poles and downed power lines.  

“Winds reached 90 miles-per-hour in some areas, pushing branches into power lines or even knocking to the ground parts of many trees,” Roy Rodriguez, Distribution System supervisor, said. “We had 39 tree trimming crews working throughout the area.”

The initial damage assessment estimated that 220 trees, 128 utility poles and over 23,000 feet of power lines had to be addressed.  Those numbers are expected to rise as crews encountered additional utility poles needing repair or replacement on Matagorda Island. 

AEP Texas would like to thank all customers for their patience as the restoration effort continues toward completion over the next few days.

SAFETY FIRST

All power lines should be considered energized and dangerous. To report a fallen power line or utility pole, call (866) 223-8508. Please visit AEPTexas.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the most current updates.

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