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May 30, 2017 - Shelby County Today was notified by a viewer of a scam where they were contacted and threatened to have power shutoff if payment wasn't made. The viewer logged into their service account with SWEPCO while on the phone and found a Scam Alert. After reading the alert to the caller, the caller hung up the phone.
SWEPCO is notifying customers of a scam alert where thieves are calling customers, threatening to shut off power unless an immediate payment is made. Southwestern Electric Power Company never asks for pre-paid debit cards for payment. Please use SWEPCO's authorized payment methods, and call customer service at 888-216-3523 if you have questions or concerns.
As a note from Shelby County Today, don't necessarily trust the caller identification number or name which appears. There are ways to spoof the caller information. When in doubt, hang up and call the number you know to be the correct number. Don't be bullied by a scammer.
Update: 5:15 PM, 5/30/2017
As of 4 pm today, SWEPCO has restored power to approximately 74,000 customers, down from a peak of 103,000 customers after Sunday’s storm. Approximately 29,000 customers remain without power.
Sunday night’s storm packed winds of up to 60 miles per hour and downed power lines and trees across SWEPCO’s East Texas and Louisiana service territory. An EF-1 tornado was confirmed in the Longview area. Almost 800 men and women, including 501 line and 287 tree personnel, are working to restore power to SWEPCO customers. (This is a corrected total from a previous report.)
SWEPCO has restored the main circuits from our substations. Now we are tackling the tough distribution lines along streets, in neighborhoods, alleys and backyards where we see major damage on poles, wires, cross arms and transformers. Thanks for your continued patience.
The estimated restoration times below tell when SWEPCO expects to have power restored to 95 percent of customers in an area. Power may be restored prior to our estimate.
Outages and Estimated Restoration Times (for 95 percent of customers who can take power):
LONGVIEW AREA (62,000 at peak – 18,228 at 4 pm Tuesday)
- Carthage area – 447 - Wednesday at 10 pm
- Gilmer area– 36 - Wednesday at 5 pm
- Gladewater area – 1,305 - Wednesday at 5 pm
- Kilgore area – 42 - Wednesday at 10 pm
- Longview area – 16,202 - Friday at 5 pm
- Marshall area – 195 - Wednesday at 10 pm
SHREVEPORT AREA (18,000 at peak; 67 at 4 pm Tuesday)
- Haughton area – 15 - Tuesday at 10 pm
- Shreveport area – 52 - Tuesday at 10 pm
VALLEY AREA (24,000 at peak; 10,938 at 4 pm Tuesday)
- Hornbeck area – 447 - Wednesday at 5 pm
- Logansport area – 536 - Wednesday at noon
- Mansfield area – 3,630 - Thursday at 5 pm
- Natchitoches area – 6,295 - Thursday at 5 pm
Update: 11:00 AM, 5/30/2017
May 30, 2017 - As of 9:15 a.m. today, SWEPCO has restored power to approximately 65,000 customers – nearly two-thirds of the customers who lost electric service due to Sunday’s storm. Approximately 37,700 customers remain without power.
Sunday night’s storm packed winds of up to 60 miles per hour and downed power lines and trees across SWEPCO East Texas and Louisiana service territory. An EF-1 tornado was confirmed in the Longview area. Almost 1,100 men and women, including 461 line and 625 tree personnel, are working to restore power to SWEPCO customers.
The estimated restoration times below tell when we expect to have power restored to 95 percent of customers in an area. Your power may be restored prior to our estimate.
Outages and Estimated Restoration Times (for 95 percent of customers who can take power):
LONGVIEW DISTRICT (62,000 at peak – 24,055 at 9:15 am Tuesday)
- Carthage – 961 Wednesday at 10 pm
- Gladewater – 1,076 Wednesday at 5 pm
- Kilgore – 159 Wednesday at 10 pm
- Longview – 21,440 Friday at 5 pm
- Marshall – 350 Wednesday at 10 pm
SHREVEPORT DISTRICT (18,000 at peak; 266 at 9:15 am Tuesday)
- Haughton – 62 Tuesday at 10 pm
- Shreveport – 192 Tuesday at 10 pm
VALLEY DISTRICT (24,000 at peak; 13,364 at 9:15 am Tuesday)
- Hornbeck – 805 Thursday at noon
- Logansport – 661 Wednesday at noon
- Mansfield – 4005 Thursday at 5 pm
- Natchitoches – 7893 Thursday at 5 pm
Sign up for SWEPCO Alerts to get email or text message updates about your outage. Enroll at SWEPCO.com/Alerts.
Please note: The outage map at SWEPCO.com/OutageMap is not showing all known outages. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Safety Messages
Never touch a downed utility wire, no matter how harmless it looks. It can be difficult to distinguish between a power line and a cable or telephone line. All downed lines should be considered energized and dangerous. And don't touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences or puddles of water, since they can conduct electricity. Keep children and pets away from this potential hazard. Call SWEPCO to report any downed lines or equipment.
If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators "backfeed" electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public. Follow the manufacturers' instructions carefully, and plug essential appliances directly into the generator. See additional information about use of backup generators.
Customer Information
If the weatherhead or meter base at your home or business has been damaged or pulled away from the structure, you will need to have it repaired by a licensed electrician before SWEPCO can safely reconnect service. Once the repair is made, please contact SWEPCO so your service can be reconnected.
Next Update - 5/30/2017, 4:30 PM CT
May 29, 2017 - As of 4 PM, DETEC is reporting approximately 1,050 meters remaining without power. Crews continue to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible.
As of 9 AM, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is reporting approximately 3,500 meters without power after yesterday's storm. The majority of these outages are in Nacogdoches and Shelby County. DETEC crews along with neighboring Cooperatives and contractors will continue to work until all power is restored.
At 8 PM following the storm, 9,700 meters were out of service. Nacogdoches, Shelby, San Augustine and a portion of Sabine County seen the most significant damage.
DETEC would like to remind everyone to be safe - STAY AWAY FROM ALL DOWNED LINES. Consider them all to be live and dangerous. Call DETEC at 1-800-392-5986 to report downed lines and outages.
Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is a non-profit electricity provider serving approximately 40,000 members in eight counties in Deep East Texas: San Augustine, Shelby, Sabine, Panola, Nacogdoches, Rusk, Jasper and Newton.
May 28, 2017 - The National Weather Service issued at 5:15pm, Sunday, May 28, 2017 a severe thunderstorm watch for the following counties: Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, and Smith.
The National Weather Service in Shreveport at 5:15pm also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Southwestern Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana; South central Harrison County in northeastern Texas; Panola County in northeastern Texas; Eastern Rusk County in northeastern Texas; Northern Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas; Northwestern Shelby County in eastern Texas; and Southeastern Gregg County in northeastern Texas.
The alert is until 6:00 PM CDT. At 5:14 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Tatum, or 13 miles northeast of Henderson, moving southeast at 30 mph. Radar indicated 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
Locations impacted include Henderson, Carthage, Tatum, Beckville, Deberry, Pinehill, Easton, Gary City, Chapman, Lawsonville, Darco, Fairplay, Stewart, Midyett, Chalk Hill, Dotson, Church Hill and Oak Hill.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
This is a dangerous situation. This storm has produced widespread wind damage across portions of Gregg county. Seek shelter now inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows!
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
May 28, 2017 - It is no longer necessary for Paxton Water customers to boil their drinking water.
May 23, 2017 - Due to line break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required our water System, Paxton Water, to notify customers of the need to boil their water prior to consumption. This is for the customers that were out of water on May 23, 2017 in the Paxton area, and surrounding county roads.
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. Instructions to discontinue boiling will be issued in the same manner as this notice. If you have any questions concerning this matter, you may contact Vince Di Verdi at 936-590-9177 or 936-332-7683.
May 27, 2017 - A public boil water notice effective Friday, May 26, 2017 until further notice has been issued for San Augustine Rural Water Supply customers on or near Hwy 21 West, FM 711, US Hwy 96 North, FM 1277, Butts Addition and Whipporwill Sub Division.
This is just a safety precaution due to a power outage that occurred within the city of San Augustine.
This does not include the remaining customers on San Augustine Rural Water Supply.
Customers will be notified thru radio and television when the notice is lifted.
Thank you,
Charles Sharp
Operator
May 24, 2017 - U.S. 59 between Timpson and Tenaha was the scene of a three-vehicle crash involving a school bus, 18-wheeler and dump truck Wednesday, May 24, 2017.
A school bus was stopped to pick up two students from a residence when the incident occurred. The homeowner where the children lived stated his kids would normally have been sitting in the back of the bus once they had boarded.
Personnel with the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, Timpson Volunteer Fire Department and Tenaha Volunteer Fire Department were immediately dispatched to the scene of the incident. Once on scene, traffic was diverted from the area where it could be in Tenaha and Timpson.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Jesse Fountain, at around 6:30am a white 1995 Mack truck owned by O'Dirt out of Alto, Tx. and driven by Benjamin Salazar, 55 of Wells, TX, was northbound when he failed to see a school bus that was stopped to load students.
Salazar stated the sun was causing difficulty with his visibility. When Salazar noticed the school bus was stopped, he hit his brakes and the Mack truck started sliding in the outside lane.
The Mack came into contact with a blue Kenworth truck-tractor owned by Valley Trucking Co. Inc. out of Brownsville, Tx. and driven by Abel Longoria, III, 41 of Brownsville, TX, that had stopped in the inside lane for the school bus. After the Mack glanced off the Kenworth, it continued forward and struck the rear of the stopped school bus.
The Timpson ISD Bluebird school bus was driven by Sabra Sessions, 28 of Nacogdoches, with five minor passengers on board.
Two of the students on board were transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for treatment of non life threatening injuries. The three other students were also transported by ACE EMS as a precaution.
Sessions was transported by Timpson Volunteer Ambulance Service for treatment of unknown injuries.
Salazar was issued a citation for fail to stop for loading/unloading school bus.
TxDOT arrived at the scene and helped clean spilled oil and fuel from the roadway.
The crash remains under investigation at this time.
DPS Trooper Fountain was assisted at the scene by DPS Trooper Cpl. Jimmy Faulkner.
May 22, 2017 - Red Hill Lake Recreation Area will be open Thursday, May 25 through Oct. 1 for the summer season.
The delayed opening of Red Hill Lake Recreation Area is a result of vandalism to the electric hookups in January. As a result of the vandalism, electricity will not be available at campsites, according to Kimpton Cooper, Sabine National Forest Ranger.
“If anyone has information related to this crime, please call our office at 409-625-1940,” Cooper said.
May 21, 2017 - FM 417 was the scene of a single-vehicle crash Friday, May 19 resulting from the combination of roadway gravel and speed.
Eyewitness accounts shared the gravel had recently been added to the road and other drivers were having difficulty maintaining control.
The Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department and Center Fire Department were dispatched to the scene. Jaws of Life was used to gain better access to both individuals in the vehicle by removing doors to better extricate them.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Jesse Fountain, at 8am a grey 2005 GMC Yukon driven by Barbara Cagle, 58, of Shelbyville was southbound on FM 417 at CR 2335. Due to unsafe speed, the Yukon traveled across some loose gravel in a left hand curve causing the vehicle to lose traction.
Cagle over corrected the Yukon to the right, causing it to travel off the roadway into the barrow ditch where the vehicle flipped several times before coming to rest on its top facing the roadway.
Cagle was flown by Life Air Rescue helicopter to LSU Hospital in Shreveport for treatment. Her passenger Joyce Walker, 76, was transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for possible injuries.
Assisting Trooper Fountain with the investigation was Trooper Cpl. Jimmy Faulkner.
May 19, 2017 - Emergency personnel were dispatched to CR 3173 late Thursday, May 18, 2017 to a single-vehicle crash involving an intoxicated driver.
When EMS arrived, the driver did not appear to be seriously injured. Following the arrival of Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers and Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department, it was determined the driver was intoxicated.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Taylor Buster, at 11:20pm a red 2000 Ford F-150 driven by Chad Edwin Richard, 26, of Joaquin was traveling southbound on CR 3173 failed to maintain single lane, leaving the roadway to the right and striking the bank of a ditch causing right front quarter panel damage.
Richard received a citation for no insurance and was arrested at the scene for driving while intoxicated with open container.
DPS State Troopers Richard Hill and Sean Smith assisted with the crash investigation.
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