Oncor personnel are continuing to assess damages, make repairs, and restore power across Wichita Falls and the surrounding communities following last night’s severe storms. As of Friday morning, approximately 7,600 customers are without power, down from a peak of about 11,000 customers Thursday night.

Intense high winds, which may have produced gusts in excess of 90 mph were documented across the area, leading to downed trees and debris in power lines, heavily damaged electric equipment and poor road conditions. Strong rain and frequent lightning were also reported. Oncor teams began work as soon as it was safe to do so and will continue working around the clock until power can be restored. Additional personnel and resources have been deployed from other regions of Oncor’s service area to support the ongoing restoration efforts. 

In some areas, complete reconstruction of electric equipment will be required, including replacing utility poles and transformers before new power lines can be installed. Oncor vegetation management personnel must also remove tree limbs and other debris from lines before repairs can be made. Customers should be prepared for the possibility of extended outages in the case of extremely damaged facilities. Customers are encouraged to check on neighbors and elderly or vulnerable residents, and to seek alterative shelter as needed.

Customers should also keep these safety tips in mind as storm clean up continues:

• If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Keep pets, children and others away from the area. 
• Do not attempt to remove debris and tree limbs from areas near power lines. The debris may be concealing a live wire or downed power line.
• Use caution when traveling on the roadways, especially in areas with heavy debris and streetlights without power. 
• If you are experiencing an emergency event, call 911 immediately.  

Customers can report outages by calling 888-313-4747, texting OUT to 66267, or by downloading the MyOncor app.