As temperatures soared into the triple digits this weekend, some Oncor customers dealt with power outages for more than 24 hours. The energy company says the heat is putting additional stress on its equipment.
At the Browning residence in Plano, the text messages from Oncor kept coming; but not with news they wanted to hear.
“Oncor gave us an estimate of 7:30 which became 9:30 and then 12:30,” said Matthew Browning.
Matthew Browning and his mom went more than 24 hours without power in their Plano home. As North Texas temperatures reached triple digits, the house became unbearable, especially with two dogs in the house.
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“It’s been stifling all day,” he said. “Our thermostat actually recorded a temperature of about 85-86, and I don’t know how accurate that is because it feels warmer in here.”
As of 8:42 p.m. Sunday, Oncor reported 143 outages statewide, affecting more than 3,100 customers. Well over two-thirds of those customers were in the DFW area. Some 54 customers were in the Plano area alone.
Oncor released this statement in the response to the outages:
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The record-setting heat is putting additional stress on our equipment. We have crews fanned out across our service area. They are working to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible. We acknowledge that any type of outage causes frustration, and inconveniences to our customers, especially in this heat. We are grateful to for their patience.
Oncor told NBC 5 it is working to determine what caused the outages.
Browning said he’s concerned for his neighbors and others in the area as the summer months continue.
“There may not be as many people who have access to getting to a hotel or getting to a relative or friend's house,” he said. “And when we’re eventually getting into those triple digits consistently, it’s concerning.”
