LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) – Tens of thousands of East Texans could lose energy if high winds knock down power lines during Hurricane Laura.
People are no strangers to hurricanes and tornado winds in Gregg County.
Over a year ago, straight-line winds of around 90 mph knocked down trees for miles, leaving 32,000 residents without power for days.
SWEPCO recently brought additional workers to East Texas in anticipation of widespread disruption.
They have over a hundred staff on standby.
“We have spent the last few days seeing what the potential damage might be and contacting our affiliates to see if they can send us any resources,” said Mark Robinson of SWEPCO. “We have about 1,000 employees and forest resources from other states.”
SWEPCO teams will be ready to respond when the posts and lines fall. Whether they fall on roads, buildings or someone’s land.
SWEPCO also shared some tips on how to stay safe during power outages.
They said drivers should avoid power lines that have fallen on roads or highways.
They also said that when a back-up generator is connected to the home circuit box, it creates a danger for their repair crews and others. Thousands of volts of electricity could kill someone. Young women are twice as
They advised people to have an emergency break kit, stocked with flashlights, water and non-perishable food.
Like SWEPCO, other companies are also anticipating power outages and preparing.
“We have rented a generator to power our freezers and coolers, so if our electricity were to go out or hit us badly enough, we will move everything to freezers and coolers,” said Ryan Richardson, director of The Butcher Shop. .
Richardson also said The Butcher Shop will serve people until the power goes out or the weather gets too tough.
Leave a Reply