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August 28, 2020 - Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) estimates most customers in the Shreveport-Bossier area will have power restored by 10 p.m. Wednesday, and for Central Louisiana customers by 10 p.m. Thursday.
"Hurricane Laura was unprecedented, causing widespread damage to the power grid," said Drew Seidel, SWEPCO vice president of Region Distribution Operations. "Scattered thunderstorms forecast for today could cause new outages and hamper our progress on repairs."
The initial estimates are for restoration to most customers in the area. Estimates by town will be provided later today and will be updated as further assessment and repair work continues. Your power may be restored sooner.
As of 9:30 a.m., about 107,000 customers were without power, including 103,000 in Louisiana.
As crews respond to hundreds of downed trees, poles and wires, SWEPCO employees also are continuing to assess the damage across Louisiana.
By this afternoon, nearly 3,000 line and tree personnel from 14 states and Canada will arrive and begin working to help SWEPCO employees restore power.
"We recognize that high heat is a challenge for the public and our crews working to restore power," Seidel said. "Please check on your family and neighbors who are without power and who spend a lot of time alone."
Customers without power who are on life support systems or need uninterrupted electric service for health reasons should make alternate arrangements.
Hurricane Laura smashed into SWEPCO's Valley District Thursday morning as a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph maximum sustained winds. It continued through northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas as a Category 1 hurricane and tropical storm.
At the peak, 136,000 SWEPCO customers in Louisiana and East Texas were without power.
Report outages at SWEPCO.com or through the SWEPCO app, available on Google Play and the App Store.
For updates and photos see SWEPCO.com and, follow SWEPCO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
· When to call an electrician
o SWEPCO cannot connect power to a home or business if there is damage to the service entrance, which is owned by the customer.
o Customers need to have a qualified electrician repair this damage before power can be restored. The service entrance includes the metal box housing SWEPCO's meter, the "weatherhead" pipe on top of the meter box, the service entrance cables running from the weatherhead through the meter box to the inside panel box, and other related facilities. Similar responsibilities apply to underground service.
o After repairs are made, contact SWEPCO to have power restored.
· Working safely
o Workers are practicing social distancing and other measures to stay healthy and prevent the spread of coronavirus, making the recovery effort especially challenging.
o Maintain at least six feet of physical distance between yourself and SWEPCO field personnel as we all play a crucial role in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
o Also, be careful when driving or walking in all utility crew work zones.
August 28, 2020 - As of 9 AM, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is reporting 23,058 outages:
Jasper County: 1,044
Nacogdoches County: 1,043
Newton County: 1,802
Panola County: 714
Sabine County: 6,697
San Augustine County: 3,655
Shelby County: 8,100
Since Hurricane Laura’s arrival, DETEC has welcomed over 150 contractors to assist with restoring power. Despite the heavy downpours of rain and thunderstorms we are now receiving, all crews are working to restore your power as safely and as quickly as possible.
Much of yesterday’s time was spent assessing damage across the 8 counties we serve. This territory includes over 7,000 miles of line and 34 substations. With hundreds of broken poles, lines down and scattered pine trees, estimated outage restoration times are not yet available. Work is focused on repairing the transmission lines and main lines serving large areas. With these repairs completed, we will be able to gain more knowledge as to how long restoration will take for those remaining. We hope to provide more detailed information at that time.
At this time, if anyone in the home is dependent upon electricity for medical needs, it is advised that they seek an alternate location until power is restored.
If you encounter a downed line, always consider it live and dangerous. Do not get near the line or attempt to move or cut trees off the line. Please report all downed lines and outages by calling 1-800-392-5986. For prompt reporting, please have the telephone and meter number associated with your account available.
August 27, 2020 - As of 5 PM, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is reporting 24,861 outages:
Jasper County: 1,609
Nacogdoches County: 1,287
Newton County: 1,805
Panola County: 1,083
Sabine County: 8,580
San Augustine County: 4,506
Shelby County: 5,991
All of DETEC’s 115 employees are working along with 110 contractors to restore power as safely and as quickly as possible.
After the storm moved through, DETEC began assessing damage across the 8 counties we serve. This territory includes over 7,000 miles of line and 34 substations. Due to the nature of hurricane damage, much of this area is still being surveyed. With hundreds of broken poles, lines down and scattered pine trees, estimated outage restoration times are not yet available. Work has began to repair the transmission lines, substations and lines serving large areas. With these repairs completed, we will be able to gain more knowledge as to how long restoration will take. We hope to provide more detailed information tomorrow.
At this time, if anyone in the home is dependent upon electricity for medical needs, it is advised that they seek an alternate location until power is restored.
If you encounter a downed line, always consider it live and dangerous. Do not get near the line or attempt to move or cut trees off the line. Please report all downed lines and outages by calling 1-800-392-5986.
August 27, 2020 - As of 1 PM, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is reporting the following weather related outages:
Jasper County - Outages 1,578; Meters Served 1,839
Nacogdoches County - Outages 1,357; Meters Served 10,154
Newton County - Outages 1,808; Meters Served 1,879
Panola County - Outages 1,070; Meters Served 1,273
Rusk County - Outages 0; Meters Served 9
Sabine County - Outages 8,460; Meters Served 9,092
San Augustine County - Outages 4,491; Meters Served 5,696
Shelby County - Outages 6,710; Meters Served 11,367
TOTAL - Outages 25,474; Meters Served 41,309
At this time DETEC crews are in the early stages of restoration as we survey damages and assess needs.
August 27, 2020 - As of 9 AM, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is reporting the following weather related outages:
Jasper County - Outages 1,544; Meters Served 1,839
Nacogdoches County - Outages 1,741; Meters Served 10,154
Newton County - Outages 1,804; Meters Served 1,879
Panola County - Outages 548; Meters Served 1,273
Rusk County - Outages 0; Meters Served 9
Sabine County - Outages 8,206; Meters Served 9,092
San Augustine County - Outages 3,435; Meters Served 5,696
Shelby County - Outages 4,876; Meters Served 11,367
TOTAL - Outages 22,154; Meters Served 41,309
As conditions allow, crews are surveying the damage to begin restoration.
August 28, 2020 - The Shelby County Emergency Management office reports as of 7:45am on Friday, August 28, 2020, TxDSHS has reported 5 new case and the cumulative case count is now 431. The death count is 14 for Shelby County. (The DSHS website dashboard shows 19 deaths for Shelby County as of Aug 25th.)
According to the state's algorithm to determine recoveries, there are 4 new recoveries reported and the total of recoveries is 387. The number of active cases is 30.
Breakdown of cumulative cases by zip code and ages:
Active Cases in each zip code: (Change in Data)
Center (75935) - 17 (4 new, 1 recovery)
Joaquin (75954) - 4 (2 recoveries)
Shelbyville (75973) - 2
Tenaha (75974) - 4 (1 new)
Timpson (75975) - 3 (1 recovery)
Cumulative Cases in each zip code:
Center (75935) - 286 (4 new)
Joaquin (75954) - 29
Shelbyville (75973) - 27
Tenaha (75974) - 51 (1 new)
Timpson (75975) - 38
Ages of Confirmed Cases:
Ages 1 to 20: 40 cases
Ages 21 to 40: 141 cases (2 new)
Ages 41 to 60: 128 cases, 4 deaths
Ages 61 to 80: 79 cases (2 new), 4 deaths
Ages 81 to 100: 36 cases (1 new), 6 deaths
Age unknown: 7 cases
August 28, 2020 - State Highway 87 from FM 415 south to FM 1645 has been reported to Shelby County Today as being flooded as of 7:39am.
State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 84 in Joaquin have shut down as a result of the rain.
As of 8am, Southview Circle just south of San Augustine Street in Center is flooded with high water of around 18 inches. Travelers should use caution and avoid this area until the water recedes.
U.S. Highway 96 at Huana Creek, south of Center, has been reported to have water over the bridge. Passenger cars should use caution. There is also water across the road at U.S. 96 just south of Loop 500.
FM 2787 has been reported as having flooding in Joaquin.
Additional roadways confirmed to have flooding include:
- CR 2026.
- U.S. Highway 84 East.
- U.S. Highway 84 and 59 intersection.
- SH 87 North.
Flooding at U.S. Highway 84 just before the intersection with State Highway 7 has resulted in necessary evacuation of apartments in that vicinity.
Driver’s should use caution when traveling these areas, and expect other areas of the county to have similar, if not worse, circumstances during the current downpour of rain.
August 27, 2020 - The Shelby County Courthouse will remain closed Friday, August 28 due to the power outage.
August 25, 2020 - The Shelby County Courthouse will be closed on Thursday, August 27, due to possible high wind and flash flooding.
The courthouse will reopen on Friday, August 28.
August 27, 2020 - FM 417 is free-flowing again, as of 2:22pm. Small debris remains on the roadway at different locations, and travelers should continue to use caution.
(1:20pm) - FM 417 from Shelbyville is currently impassable.
TxDOT personnel have blocked the road while crews are working to clear trees and power lines.
FM 2694 is passable, with caution, as crews are still working to remove trees from the roadway.
August 27, 2020 - Shelby County Commissioners are currently working to assess the damage incurred in the area resulting from Hurricane Laura.
Charles Barr, Precinct 3 Commissioner, advises a lot of downed trees are wrapped in power lines and are not able to be handled by commissioner crews.
If anyone sees down power lines, wrapped in trees or not, contact Deep East Texas Electric Co-op, SWEPCO, or whoever your electric provider may be.
Further updates are expected from county officials as the extent of the damage is realized.
August 27, 2020 - SWEPCO reports at 11 a.m., Thursday, August 27, 2020 the following Hurricane Laura Outage Update.
o At 11 a.m., more than 125,000 SWEPCO customers were without power.
o 112,000 of the affected customers are in northwest and central Louisiana.
o Early reports include widespread damage with trees, utility poles and wires down across major roadways.
o The number of customers without power continues to climb as heavy rains with hurricane- and tropical-storm-force winds head north.
o The storm moved into the Valley District as a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph maximum sustained winds.
Downed power lines
o All power lines should be considered energized and dangerous. Although a downed line may look harmless, it could be carrying electricity.
o Don't touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences, or water puddles.
o Stay away and keep children and pets away from downed lines.
o Report downed lines immediately to SWEPCO at 1-888-218-3919.
Workforce
o Nearly 2,300 workers from 14 states and Canada will join more than 400 SWEPCO employees to restore power
Damage assessment process
o After the storm moves through, crews will begin assessing damage, which is essential to effectively planning the recovery work.
o Customers may initially see trucks patrolling for damage to the electric system, hazards such as downed power lines, and issues that could affect access for recovery work.
o After damage is assessed, crews will be dispatched to begin repairs.
Storm restoration process
o Priority is given to essential public health and safety facilities such as hospitals and police and fire stations.
o Work starts with the major power lines and substations that serve large areas and restore power to the largest numbers of customers in the shortest time.
o While crews may not be in the immediate area of individual outages, they may be working elsewhere to complete repairs necessary to restore power to the larger area.
o Then crews fix local power lines and equipment and serves multiple customers, and individual service lines to homes and businesses.
Working safely
o Workers are practicing social distancing and other measures to stay healthy and prevent the spread of coronavirus, making the recovery effort especially challenging.
o Maintain at least six feet of physical distance between yourself and SWEPCO field personnel as we all play a crucial role in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
o Also, be careful in when driving or walking in all utility crew work zones.
Generator safety
o If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box.
o Portable generators can "backfeed" electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public.
o Follow the manufacturers' instructions carefully, and plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
Keeping food cold
o During a power outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep cold air inside.
o Check out sources of ice or dry ice, if needed.
o Food should stay frozen for 36 to 48 hours in a fully loaded freezer, 24 hours in a half-full freezer – if you keep the door closed.
Reporting and Tracking Outages
· Use the SWEPCO app, available for download via the App Store or Google Play.
· Log on to SWEPCO.com to report an outage and sign up for text and email updates, including an estimated time of restoration.
· Visit SWEPCO.com/OutageMap to find detailed information without logging into your account
· Call 1-888-218-3919 to report your outage. During and immediately after the storm, customers are asked to call the Customer Solution Center only to report downed power lines and other situations that could pose a safety threat.
For updates and photos see SWEPCO.com and, follow SWEPCO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (AEP: NYSE) company, serves more than 543,000 customers in northwest and central Louisiana, northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle, and western Arkansas. SWEPCO's headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv, LinkedIn.com/company/swepco and SWEPCOConnections.com.
August 27, 2020 - Emergency personnel throughout Shelby County continue to respond to damaged areas, clearing debris and assisting those in need after and during Hurricane Laura passing through the area.
The active Shelby County Courthouse appears to have made it through the storm unscathed, aside from damage to the sign. Within the same vicinity, there is damage on Houston Street beside the courthouse and next to Raymond Motor Company where a large oak tree has fallen beside the building.
It also appears the tree fell on power lines which has resulted in many on San Augustine Street and the surrounding area losing power.
August 27, 2020 - For City of Center services please call 936/598-2788. City Hall phones are down due to the power outage.
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