Read this history in Spanish
Austin Energy told City Council members it hoped to have power restored to all of its customers by 6 p.m. Friday.
“Repair efforts have been slow due to freezing temperatures and steadily accumulating ice,” the utility said in a news release from Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis. posted on Twitter. “In addition, we often experience outages in affected areas, as trees and branches continue to push our power lines, leading to additional outages.”
More than 170,000 customers were without power at one point Wednesday as a winter storm rolled through Central Texas.
The National Weather Service’s winter storm warning for the Austin and mountain areas has been extended until Thursday, 10 a.m. Freezing rain may spread across the area overnight.
Power outages are caused by local issues, such as ice accumulating on power lines, utility poles and tree limbs. There is no grid electricity problem statewide. Williamson and Hays counties are also seeing outages.
Austin Energy customers can report a power outage by calling 512-322-9100 or texting “EX” to 287846. They can also report and check the status of emissions on the Austin Energy car dashboard. However, the utility tweeted around 6:30 p.m. that its system could no longer handle reports by text or paper due to the high volume.
Reduced power lines also caused problems for drivers. Interstate 35 in North Austin was closed for an hour in each direction from Wells Branch to the Grand Avenue Parkway due to downed lines.
TxDOT continues to encourage people to travel if they can. Here’s what I need to know if you need to do it. There are also power outages around Austin traffic signals. If you find a traffic light that is not working or is flashing, make sure to stop at the intersection.
Residents in Travis County Water District 10, around Lake Hills West, have been asked to conserve water because of a leak at the power station at the McConnel Pump. The county said Austin Energy is working to restore service.
The power went out at the Northwest Austin residence of India Gail this morning around 9. A few hours into the football itself, he walked in the cold with his twin daughters and his dog to a friend’s house, which could wait for the event.
“They want to watch TV,” Gail said, referring to his 5-year-old daughters. “If it was just me, I would have stuck around longer.”
He wasn’t sure when he would get her back, so she and her family packed food and crafts – and put their dog Mango on a leash – and set off.
“We’re going to hang out there and heat up and store our food,” he said, carrying a bag of yogurt, lunch meat and cheese.
Contracts and cancellations
Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD, Pflugerville ISD, Hays ISD and Round Rock ISD announced the closures Thursday. UT Austin will also are closed. Visit your local gaming district’s website for the most up-to-date information.
Capital metro services were suspended on Wednesday. The management said that they plan to resume bus service on Thursday, but it will not be on the normal schedule: The buses will not arrive on the road until 10 am and they will be back on the schedule. MetroRail will not run on Thursday.
Most local government offices and facilities are closed – in the cities of Austin, San Marcos and Georgetown, as well as in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties.
Some Austin-area HEB stores closed at 6 p.m. Wednesday. See the list here.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and runways are open, said Sam Haynes, an airport spokesman.
“The airport is really quiet right now. We haven’t had any ice in the air but the north side of the property with the roads and parking structures has had ice pop up,” Haynes said. “Some walkways and stairs are closed, but all roads are open.”
The airport has had more than 300 flights canceled in the last 24 hours, according to FlightAware.
Follow for updates from the National Weather Service:
