Thousands without power in Austin area Sunday night, as temperatures drop
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A blast of wintery, heavy, wet snow left thousands without power in the Austin area on Sunday afternoon.
Into the late evening, approximately 8,000 customers were still without power. Just after 9 p.m., Austin Energy tweeted that it was able to restore power for 4,000 customers in the I-35, St. Johnson's area.
Around 10:15 p.m., Austin Energy said there were a total of 6,000 customers without power, and said that many of those outages required tree trimming.
10:15 p.m. Update: Our crews + contractors continue to make progress on restoration.
— Austin Energy (@austinenergy) January 11, 202198 active outages
We still have several large outages, including one off Spicewood Springs. Many of the outages require tree trimming. Thanks for being patient! pic.twitter.com/OaDFjmZT0g
According to Austin Energy, the snow weighed down on tree branches, pushing the limbs into power lines.
The company has a website where customers can track outages. However, because of the high volume of downed power lines, Austin Energy said it would not be able to provide estimated times on restoration in areas, on Sunday night.
Austin neighbor, Billy Wood, said he and his family spent several hours without power. He even went out to his car to stay warm, and to charge his phone.
"The car charger is faster, and we don't have electricity to charge it," Wood said. "Don't want to be without a phone."
Austin Energy said all of its crews are on the ground, working to restore power as fast as possible.
"We have all of our crews out there right now, and they're trying to get to as many customers as possible," Marissa Monroy, a spokesperson for Austin Energy said. "But really, we just want to say thank you to all of our customers for their patience."
Austin Energy said those who need a warm place to sleep, should take advantage of the City of Austin's Cold Weather Shelters.
The City announced they would be activated on Sunday afternoon. Single adults could seek shelter at the Central Library at 710 W. Cesar Chavez between 6 and 8 p.m.
Families were asked to check-in to the Downtown Salvation Army by 6 p.m.