Nearly 8,000 CPS Energy customers on the far west and northwest side of Bexar County woke up Wednesday to a rude surprise: no power. Two major outages cut service across a long stretch of the metro, from the River Rock Ranch area near Leon Springs through a wide corridor past Loop 1604 running from Highway 16 to I-35, including Alamo Ranch and Medina Valley.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the paired outages left nearly 8,000 customers in the dark. The outlet reported that the River Rock Ranch outage was listed as weather-related, while the incident affecting the Loop 1604 corridor was still under investigation and was expected to be restored around 8:30 a.m.
Utility response
Per CPS Energy, customers can track active incidents on the utility’s online outage map and are urged to report downed lines or immediate electrical hazards to 210-353-HELP (4357). The utility says restoration crews tackle life-safety issues first, then larger outages and critical facilities, and finally single-customer outages. In other words, the biggest and most dangerous problems get fixed before the lone dark house on the block.
Storms likely to blame
The National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office tracked strong thunderstorms rolling across parts of Medina and Bandera counties early Wednesday, with radar-reported wind gusts over 40 mph and hail. That kind of wind and lightning can topple trees and snap lines. Per the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio, radar-indicated storms in the area included damaging wind gusts and torrential rain.
What residents should do
If your lights are out, check CPS Energy’s outage map for updates and sign up for alerts so you are not guessing in the dark. Report electrical emergencies at 210-353-HELP (4357), and call 911 if there is an immediate threat to life or property…