San Antonio Storms Leave 59,963 Without Power as 77 mph Winds Delay Restoration for Days
Updated
Updated · Texas Public Radio · Aug 29
San Antonio Storms Leave 59,963 Without Power as 77 mph Winds Delay Restoration for Days
1 articles · Updated · Texas Public Radio · Aug 29
Summary
59,963 CPS Energy customers were still without electricity by 7:30 p.m. Saturday, improved from a 112,000 peak, but utility officials said some outages could last several days.
653 active outages and about 250 downed-wire calls remained after Friday night storms toppled lines, snapped poles and felled trees across San Antonio and Bexar County.
77 mph was the top gust recorded at San Antonio International Airport, and the National Weather Service said damage across a broad corridor was consistent with straight-line winds of 50 to 65 mph, with pockets near 75 mph.
98-degree heat Sunday with a 101 heat index is raising the stakes for residents, pushing the city to open cooling centers and six overnight resilience hubs with free VIA transportation.
San Antonio residents were already crowding restaurants to cool off and charge phones, discarding spoiled food and scrambling for backup housing as officials urged generator safety and live-wire precautions.