Hurricane Beryl made landfall, plunging millions of Texans into darkness as it battered the region. Approximately 14,000 SWEPCO customers in East Texas, primarily in Longview, lost power amidst the storm's fury. Tragically, a Louisiana resident lost their life due to the storm, confirmed by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The hurricane's impact extended into the ArkLaTex area, triggering an unprecedented 67 tornado warnings, a record for the National Weather Service. Many warnings were issued within SWEPCO’s service territory.
SWEPCO's energy delivery systems and distribution networks sustained significant damage from the storm's force, resulting in downed power lines, damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure. As recovery efforts begin, restoration of services may take an extended period due to the complexities posed by flooding and widespread damage.
Restoration Efforts
In response to the storm, SWEPCO has mobilized damage assessors to evaluate and prioritize repairs. These specialists are crucial in determining the resources required to restore power safely and efficiently. Priority is given to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, emergency services, and essential utilities.
The restoration process focuses initially on main power lines that serve large numbers of customers, followed by smaller clusters of homes and individual service drops. Estimated restoration times will be communicated as assessments progress.
Peak Impact
As of 11 p.m. on Monday, July 8, Hurricane Beryl left 48,831 SWEPCO customers without power at its peak impact.
