The winter storm that came roaring through the region - with wind and ice - brought electrical power down through parts of Far West Texas. Freezing rain brought accumulation of ice on electrical wires and poles across the region.
KRTS News spoke with Fred Hernandez of AEP Texas. "The hardest hit areas are Valentine, Fort Davis, Marathon, Sunny Glen, near Alpine." According to Hernandez, six transmission lines and nine substations have been affected. "About 50 cross-arms holding the electrical wires need replacement."
In addition to local crews, AEP Texas has triggered their contingency plan, which includes calling up sub-contractors from Oklahoma and elsewhere in Texas. There are roughly from 60 to 80 additional personnel attempting to make their way to the Big Bend. Some reports state 2-3 inches of ice on area roadways.
Hernandez said that "no power until 10 pm (Sunday night) was expected in the areas in which AEP is working. The customer service center for AEP Texas is 866-223-8508.
Early Saturday morning, electricity was lost to the ranches along Highway 2810 south of Marfa. Late Saturday afternoon, power went out to parts of Fort Davis. On Sunday morning, power was lost in the Sunny Glen and Calamity Creek areas near Alpine.
Marathon experienced one of the longest power losses. "A critical point is Marathon," said Eddie Pallarez of AEP Texas. "We have two full crews there."
In Fort Davis, there were two full crews addressing the outtage, which began around 5 PM on Saturday night. "We have close to 20 cross-arms and one pole to replace," said Pallarez. Those cross-arms take about 45 minutes to an hour apiece to replace."
