DALLAS (January 25, 2026) – As the second round of the ongoing winter storm continues to make its way through Oncor’s service area, responding personnel must travel across hazardous and icy road conditions, which may impact response times. Customers are encouraged not to travel unless necessary to help keep roadways clear for restoration personnel and other first responders.

Before our lineworkers can make repairs to restore power, damage evaluators must assess areas of high impact and check the condition of poles, wires, transformers and more to ensure the right teams and equipment will be assigned to each outage location. Ice accumulations and cold temperatures continue to pose the greatest possible impact to electric service. Slight variations in temperature can also create cycles of thawing and freezing, which can result in new or repeat outages.

As of 6:30 a.m. Sunday, approximately 21,000 customers are without power across Oncor’s entire service territory. Precipitation is expected to end on Sunday and the coldest point of the storm will be Monday morning. Temperatures are expected to stay below-freezing until Tuesday afternoon. The highest impact areas for ice and power outages continue to be our southeast region areas around Cherokee, Angelina and Nacogdoches Counties, and our northeast region near Red River County.

As the majority of Oncor’s service area has been below-freezing for an extended amount of time, there may be instances where the combination of severe cold and increased use causes enough stress to damage electrical equipment, resulting in additional outages. While Oncor takes extensive measures to prepare for winter weather and ensure the reliability of our equipment, not all issues provide us with an advance warning, despite thorough maintenance and monitoring efforts. Oncor made extensive preparations to stage extra equipment across our service territory and we will be prepared to distribute equipment to restoration teams as needs arise.

More than 10,000 Oncor and contractor damage evaluators, lineworkers, tree trimming crew members and other restoration personnel are assisting response efforts. These teams are trained to work safely and efficiently in freezing conditions and will continue responding to outages in 16-hour, rotating shifts, so long as weather conditions allow.

If you cannot avoid travel, please take extra precautions and be mindful of driving near larger utility vehicles. Texas’ “Move Over or Slow Down” law requires drivers to move over a lane or reduce their speed to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when approaching utility vehicles stopped with flashing lights activated on the roadside.

Safety for employees and the public remains Oncor’s number one priority. Please keep the following safety tips in mind:

• Stay weather aware, monitor local media and have multiple ways to receive severe weather alerts. Check on neighbors and elderly or vulnerable residents.
• Register for MyOncor Alerts by texting “REG” to 66267, download the MyOncor App and follow Oncor on Facebook and X. 
• If you see a downed power line, stay away, keep people and pets away and call 911 immediately. 
• Helpful individual and family resources are available on the TDEM Disaster Portal. 
• Even experienced drivers can lose control on ice, and stopping distances can increase by up to ten times, causing vehicles to slide without warning. For those who must travel, check road conditions at DriveTexas.org and review TXDOT’s Safety Guide for Winter Travel. Use extra caution on bridges, ramps, overpasses, and shaded areas as they tend to freeze first.
• To find warming centers opened and operated by local officials, visit tdem.texas.gov/warm. Locations and availability may change. For the latest information, please call 211 or check your city and county webpages.
• While prioritized during power restoration events, critical care designations do not guarantee an uninterrupted power supply, especially during severe weather. Customers who rely on electricity for life-saving medical devices should have a plan in case of power outages. Anyone experiencing an emergency event should call 911 immediately.
• If possible, bring pets inside during cold weather. If pets must be outside, ensure they have adequate shelter and access to non-frozen drinking water. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas and also make sure they have access to non-frozen drinking water.