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January 2007 Ice Storm Event
1/17/07 - 9:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 9 p.m., Austin Energy had 300 customers without power and about 60 locations to inspect. About 50 of those locations involve reports of trees on wires but no outage. Many of the reports of trees on wires are related to cable or telephone wires and not electricity.
Austin Energy has not received any significant new outages during the evening hours.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 8:30 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 8:30 p.m., Austin Energy had about 700 customers without power and 76 locations to inspect. About 60 of those locations involve reports of trees on wires but no outages at those locations.
Austin Energy is significantly reducing the number of locations during the evening and has not picked up any major new outages. As many as 32 field crews and 20 tree trimming crews are on duty.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 7:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 7 p.m., Austin Energy had about 750 customers without power. As many as 32 field crews and 20 tree trimming crews are on duty making repairs.
About 100 locations are still left to be inspected, however, 60 of those involve reports of trees on wires but no outage. Many reports of trees on wires are related to telephone and cable wires and not electricity. Electric wires are the wires located highest on the poles.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 5:25 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Since Saturday, Austin Energy has restored power to 35,000 customers by making repairs at 413 locations. If you are wondering how the restoration number can be so large, it works like this. When Austin Energy crews restore power to a circuit that could be up to 2000-3000 customers. When a line fuse (that protects a section of the power line) is restored, power is restored for 100-400 customers. Thus: the 35,000.
At 5:15 p.m. today, the number of Austin Energy customers still without power was 941.
Tree Trimming
At a majority of those 413 locations where a repair has been made, tree trimming was necessary first. And in a number of cases, the tree trimming has been very extensive. Examples:
- North Hills Drive (restored today) needed tree limbs removed from power lines that took 13-hours of tree trimming by 20 tree trimming crew members working a portion by bucket trucks but majority by hand.
- At Shadow Valley Drive (restored Tuesday), it was necessary to trim back branches from about 100 trees and tall brush requiring 12 tree trimming crew members working in back lots.
These are just two examples. There are many more.
Outage Calls
The freezing weather and icing we had is still sending tree related outage calls to Austin Energy, even as late as 4:50 p.m. today. Until the weather completely moderates and outage calls stop coming in – AE will not be able to estimate completion of all outage repairs.
Austin Energy crews will continue working 24/7 until power has been restored to all customers.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 1:15 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
About 3,500 customers are without power at this hour – down from a peak in excess of 7,500 earlier today. Outages are primarily the result of ice-laden tree branches pressing against power lines and equipment. Additional outages will continue as long as Austin receives freezing rain and freezing temperatures.
Power has been restored to the majority of customers associated with a large outage last night in the 620/183/Parmer Lane area. By 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, power is expected to be restored to the remaining 300 of those customers.
A majority of outages have required the removal of tree limbs before power lines could be reset or repaired. Tree trimming and electrical repairs have also been slowed by numerous instances where the electric system is located at the rear of properties of homes. This means that trees and poles must be climbed for trimming and repairs, respectively, because of a lack of access for bucket trucks.
Outages have been fairly widespread across Austin, though there has been a concentration of outages north of the river and west of Mopac. This encompasses areas of town with generally older and larger trees.
Austin Energy has 30 repair crews in service and has deployed 6 additional crews to assess tree-limb-on-wire calls where there are no outages. Repair crews are being assisted today by 26 contract tree trimming crews. Austin Energy crews and support staff have been working 16-hour days since outages began and that schedule continues until power is restored to all customers.
Austin Energy can provide an estimate on when restoration should be completed once outage calls are no longer coming in--which will be dependent on how soon the weather moderates without recurrences.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 8:15 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Almost 6,000 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour and it appears the total will continue to increase.
The number of outages has almost tripled since 7:00 a.m. as freezing rain continues, adding additional ice to tree limbs. The majority of outages involve tree limbs pressing against power lines.
A pattern of outages has also emerged. The majority of the outages are concentrated west of Mopac and north of the river. This encompasses areas of town with generally older and larger trees.
Austin Energy has 39 repair crews in service assisted by 26 contract tree trimming crews.
Austin Energy anticipates additional outages throughout the day as long as freezing rain continues and temperatures remain below freezing.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 6:45 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 1,800 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour.
Outages are located principally central or north. Tree trimming is required in many of the restoration efforts.
Austin Energy has 28 repair crews and 20 contract tree trimming crews in service.
Customers with outages in homes that use electric heat are asked to turn off their heater and other appliances, except refrigerator and freezer. Leave a light on to signal when the power is back on. Then turn appliances back on gradually. This will help prevent a power spike from the area when power is restored. Power spikes can hinder a restoration effort.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 4:40 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 2,000 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour.
Power has now been restored to the majority of customers in the Enfield area.
Remaining outages are scattered but are being addressed with good speed.
Austin Energy has 20 repair crews and 15 contract tree trimming crews in service.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 4:15 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 2,400 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour.
The largest outage is in the Enfield area involving about 1,370 customers.
About 300 customers are without power in an area from 620 to Parmer Lane to 183 remain due to the failure of a substation transformer.
Some 150 customers are also out in the Westlake Drive area with another 150 customers out in the North Hills Drive area. In addition there are smaller scattered outages – many of which appear are related to tree limbs on power lines.
Austin Energy has 20 repair crews and 15 contract tree trimming crews in service.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 2:45 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 3,800 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour. This includes 3,200 customers served by a north Austin substation where one of three transformers has failed. The area affected by the outage runs generally from 620 to Parmer Lane to 183.
Switching efforts are currently underway to serve those 3,200 customers through the two remaining transformers in the substation. Substation transformers step down the voltage of power received from transmission lines and send the power through feeders to neighborhoods. The two remaining transformers, in concert with other substations in the area, have the capacity to serve the 3,200 customers.
Outages affecting the remaining 600 customers are scattered and are related primarily to tree limbs pressing on power lines. Austin Energy repair crews and contract tree trimming crews are addressing those outages.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/17/07 - 12:15 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
A north Austin substation transformer tripped just before midnight leaving about 3,000 Austin Energy customers without power. The affected area generally encompasses 620 to Parmer Lane to 183. Substation crews are on the scene.
This brings to approximately 4,000 the number of Austin Energy customers without power at this hour.
Austin Energy customers should report all outages to 322-9100. This automated line is capable of handling 1,500 outage calls simultaneously.
1/16/07 - 11:48 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Power was restored at 11:40 from that power shut-down in Central Austin needed to allow for tree trimming in the area. The power shut-down began at 10:30 p.m.
Boundaries of the affected area were 56th street to the north, 47th street to the south, Avenue H to the east and Leralynn to the west. About 1,000 customers were affected.
The power shutdown was necessary because tree limbs in the area were pressing against power lines causing arcing. Tree trimming crews were called in to remove the unsafe branches.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 11:30 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Outage calls have begun to increase slightly due to ice buildup on tree limbs, pressing the tree limbs against power lines.
Currently, there are about 700 Austin Energy customers without power. Outages are small but scattered.
Austin Energy is also seeing circuits operate (trip off line), then reset and continue to perform. However, this is an indicator that tree limbs weighed down with ice are increasingly affecting the system and is seen as a precursor to circuits tripping off line. Austin Energy has about 250 circuits. Each delivers power on average to between 1,000-3,000 customers.
Austin Energy has begun calling in additional repair and tree trimming crews.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 10:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Power will have to be shut off in an area of central Austin to allow for tree trimming needed to remove tree limbs pressing on power lines that are causing arcing.
The outage to allow for the tree trimming will begin about 10:30 p.m. and will affect about 1,000 customers. The tree trimming should be completed and power restored by midnight.
Boundaries of the affected area are north: 56th street, south: 47th street, east: Avenue H and west: Leralynn.
Tree limbs pressing on power lines have been responsible for the vast majority of outages since wet, colder weather began Monday.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 9:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Austin Energy continues to see occasional small isolated power outages -- generally due to tree limbs on power lines. Currently there are a handful of single customer calls and two outages affecting a total of about 50 customers. Of the 50 affected customers, the majority are located in the Windsor/Pease area or in the Balcones/Ridge Oak area. Both outages are requiring tree trimming to remove tree limbs that are pressing on power lines. Power is expected to be restored to both areas between 10:00 -11:00 p.m.
Austin Energy has 14 repair crews and 8 tree trimming crews in service. Occasional isolated outages involving tree limbs on power lines could occur throughout the night due to continued freezing rain.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 4:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 4:00 p.m. Austin Energy crews were responding to outage calls involving 3 customers.
Austin Energy crews and support staff will remain on alert throughout the evening.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 3:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 3:00 p.m. Austin Energy crews were responding to power outage calls involving 4 customers.
This weather episode has had a very limited impact on the Austin Energy system. The key reason is the limited amount of freezing rain throughout the event. Sleet and snow do not accumulate on tree limbs as significantly as does freezing rain. In addition, there has also been limited wind, another factor that can significantly increase the number of outages when there is a buildup of ice on tree limbs and power lines.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 1:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 1:00 p.m. Austin Energy crews were responding to outage calls involving about 11 customers.
Regarding the one larger outage this morning (52 customers) on Shadow Valley Road -- power was restored at 12:30 p.m.
The outage was reported about 7:30 a.m. this morning. However, before power could be restored, extensive tree trimming was necessary to remove tree limbs pressing against power lines.
In all, four tree trimming crews had to trim more than 100 trees. The trimming was made more difficult due to the hilly terrain of the street. Once tree trimming had been completed, power was restored within 20 minutes.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 12:20 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 55 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour.
Some 52 of those live on or around Shadow Valley Drive off North Hills Drive. That outage was reported about 7:30 a.m. this morning. However, before power can be restored, extensive tree trimming has been necessary.
Four tree trimming crews have been working non-stop to clear tree limbs off power lines along the street. In all more than 100 trees have had to be trimmed. The trimming was made more difficult due to the hilly terrain of the street. The trimming is now being completed and power is expected to be restored within the next 45 minutes.
Iced over tree limbs have been responsible for almost all of the power outages that have occurred overnight and this morning in the Austin area.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 10:30 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
About 57 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour.
The outage at Shadow Valley Drive involving about 52 customers still being addressed due to tree trimming necessary at that location.
The remainder of the calls are single customer calls.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 9:30 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 60 Austin Energy customers are without power at this hour.
Some 52 of that total live on or around Shadow Valley Drive off North Hills Drive. A good bit of tree trimming is being required at that location to first remove tree limbs that are pressing against power lines. The tree limbs have caused fuses to blow that protect the lines from shorting out and potentially burning.
Iced over tree limbs have been responsible for almost all of the power outages that have occurred overnight and this morning in the Austin area.
Austin Energy has 28 repairs crews and 23 tree trimming crews in service and on standby to respond to outages.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 8:30 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Approximately 150 customers are without power at 8:30 a.m. with repairs under way at about a dozen locations. Austin Energy repair crews are working on all outages.
Virtually all of the outages this morning are requiring tree trimming first to remove tree limbs that have either broken into lines or are pressing across lines. There have been no lines downed overnight or today.
Austin Energy has 29 repairs crews and 23 tree trimming crews in service.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 5:45 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 5:45 a.m., about 600 customers were without power at nine locations. About 80% of an outage that occurred at 4:30 a.m. has been restored to 526 customers in area bounded by West Avenue, Second Street, San Antonio Street and 17th Street. As many as 30 repair and tree trimming crews are on duty..
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/16/07 - 4:10 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 4:10 a.m., Austin Energy had about 125 customers total without power at two locations. Austin Energy has experienced only a few small outages during the night. About 30 repair and tree trimming crews are on duty.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/15/07 - 10:40 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 10:40 p.m., there are no power outages in the Austin Energy system.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/15/07 - 8:30 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
At 8:30 p.m., Austin Energy had five small outages affecting about 20 customers. As many as 30 repair and tree trimming crews are currently on duty in the event of large-scale outages during the night.
Customers should call 322-9100 to report all outages.
1/15/07 - 3:30 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Currently there are still about 20 Austin Energy customers without power, as activity has increased slightly. The vast majority are single calls. These outage calls range from customer breakers in the home tripping (cold weather can cause old breakers to trip), to minor equipment failures in the Austin Energy system.
If icy conditions occur this evening, overnight and tomorrow and cold temperatures persist, there could be a number of power outages throughout Austin.
The only number to which power outages should be reported is 322-9100.
This automated number feeds the address of the outage directly into the system used to dispatch all Austin Energy repair crews.
A customer calling 322-9100 can signal an outage via their telephone number, as long as they are calling from the same telephone number given when they opened their electric account.
If a customer’s telephone number has changed since they opened their electric account, the fastest way to feed their outage into the automated system is by inputting their PowerLink number when prompted. A customer’s PowerLink number is listed in the right-hand upper corner of their electric bill.
1/15/07 - 1:00 p.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Currently there are about 20 Austin Energy customers without power. Most are single calls.
The outages overnight and today have not been ice related. Should ice accumulations occur overnight and Tuesday to as much as ½ inch as forecast, the number of power outages could be substantial. This is because ice weighs down tree limbs which can press against or break power lines. In addition sustained icy conditions combined with sustained temperatures at or below freezing will slow outage repairs.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/15/07 - 11:00 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Total Austin Energy customers without power at 11:00 am: approximately 200
The largest current outage involves about 57 customers without power on Manchaca Road. A line was downed by a tree limb near 4602 Nevada Path. Crews are trimming the limb and the line should be back up within an hour.
Some 50 customers remain without power in the Mopac/Steck area. That outage began at 7:45 involving 2150 customers. Power was restored to 98% at 8:20. Some 50 customers will remain without power until a power pole can be replaced. Replacement will be completed by about 3:00 p.m.
The remainder of the outages are scattered and involve small groups of customers, in many cases, a single customer.
Austin Energy has 30 repair crews in service.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/15/07 - 10:25 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Circuit serving area near Mueller Redevelopment Project.
- Tripped off line: Monday, 9:15 a.m.
- Affected area: Wellington to Manor Road, 51st Street to Cameron Road and north up Ridgemont.
- Customers without power: approximately 1200
- Outage cause: Device that attaches line to a pole at Berkman and 51st street failed. Line must be re-secured to the pole at that location. The line is not down.
- Estimated repair completion: Approximately 10:45 a.m.
Circuit Serving Mopac/Steck Area
- Tripped off line: 7:45 a.m.
- Customers without power: Power restored to 95% of customers at 8:20 a.m. 50 customers remain without power.
- Cause of outage: Deteriorated power pole.
- Estimated repair completion: Approximately 5 hours (3:00 p.m.) while power pole is replaced near 4016 Austin Woods Drive.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/15/07 - 10:00 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
A circuit serving the area near the Mueller Redevelopment Project tripped off line at 9:15 a.m. The affected area is Wellington to Manor Road, 51st Street to Cameron Road and north up Ridgemont. Approximately 1200 customers affected. A device that attaches a line to a pole at Berkman and 51st street failed. The line must be re-secured to the pole at that location. The line is not down. Crews are on the scene.
Power was restored at 8:20 to about 95% of the customers affected by the circuit serving the Mopac/Steck Avenue area. That circuit tripped off line at 7:45. The cause was a power pole that fell, bringing down a line near 4016 Austin Woods Drive. The pole had deteriorated. Crews are working to replace the pole and line. About 100 customers remain without power due to that outage.
A circuit did trip off line last night at about 11:45 p.m. affecting 280 customers. Power was restored within 40 minutes.
All total – in addition to the three circuits that have tripped since this weather episode began—there are about 6 customers at different locations currently reporting power outages and about a dozen at another location.
It does not appear any of these outages were caused by ice accumulation.
When ice becomes a factor, the number of outages could increase significantly.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/15/07 - 8:30 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
Power was restored at 8:20 to about 95% of the customers affected by the circuit serving the Mopac/Steck Avenue area. The circuit tripped off line at 7:45. The cause was a power pole that fell bringing down a line near 4016 Austin Woods Drive. The pole had deteriorated. Crews are working to replace the pole and line.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/15/07 - 8:00 a.m.
Austin Energy System Report
The Austin Energy system experienced virtually no outages overnight. There was one 40-minute outage that began at 11:45 p.m. affecting about 279 customers in the 183/Riata Parkway area.
A short while ago at 7:45 a.m., a circuit serving the Mopac/Steck Avenue area tripped off line leaving about 2100 customers without power. Crews are on the scene investigating.
Austin Energy has repair crews and support personnel fully operational to address outages that may result from this weather episode.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/15/07 - 4:20 a.m.
The Austin Energy system continues to operate normally with only one small outage overnight of any size to report. A device designed to protect equipment from lightning failed at about 11:44 p.m. The result was a 40-minute outage for approximately 279 customers in the 183 and Riata Parkway area. Austin Energy continues to monitor the weather closely and has repair crews, tree trimming crews and other necessary personnel on standby should events begin to develop.
Outages in the Austin Energy system should be reported to 322-9100.
1/14/07 - 3:30 p.m.
Austin Energy is Prepared
Austin Energy repair and tree trimming crews will be on standby and in service ready to address outages that might result from freezing and windy conditions. Austin Energy has the capability to dispatch up to 40 repair crews, with assistance from as many as 80 contract tree trimming crews, if needed. During an extensive restoration effort, Austin Energy crews and support personnel work 16-hour days until power is restored to all customers.
For that reason, Austin Energy has lodging reserved and food delivery resources on standby for crews and Customer Care staff, should restoration extend over several days.
Speed of Restoration
A major ice storm in 2000 in Austin left 90,000 electric customers without power at peak. The storm downed numerous power lines and caused other significant damage to the electric system. Restoration took almost three days, with repairs necessary at more than 700 locations. Another ice storm hit Austin in 2003. That storm left about 30,000 customers without power. Restoration took almost two days to complete with repairs required at more than 100 locations.
The speed at which power can be restored due to icy conditions is affected significantly by several factors:
- Road Conditions. AE repair vehicles have snow chains. However hazardous driving conditions or impassible roads or bridges can significantly slow down restoration efforts.
- Temperatures. Following the ice storms of 2000 and 2003, temperatures rose above freezing the day after the storm. If temperatures stay at or below freezing the day after a storm or longer, the number of outages increases as additional tree limbs impact lines and lines caked with ice remain stressed. Higher temperatures allow melting and a decrease in the number of outages as tree limbs relax and power lines free of ice.
- Waves of Icy Weather. Obviously successive waves of sleet or ice will prolong restoration efforts, often re-damaging power lines and equipment repaired from the previous storm wave.
If You Have an Outage
Every Austin Energy customer that experiences an outage should call 322-9100.
The 322-9100 automated outage system can handle about 1,500 telephone calls at the same time. Customers simply call the number and when prompted, press the indicated number to report they have an outage. The customer’s address is fed directly into the data system used to dispatch repair crews.
Important: If the customer has changed their home telephone number since they set up their electric account, the system will tell them the telephone number is not recognized and they will automatically be connected to a Customer Service Representative (CSR). They will report their outage to the CSR and also should report their new telephone number.
Every customer should call in their outage. Electric utilities can see the status of high voltage transmission lines that carry power to each section of town. But they have no way of knowing a particular home or business is without power unless each customer reports their outage.
As indicated, when a customer calls 322-9100 and reports their outage—their address is fed directly into the data system used to dispatch repair crews. That system also analyzes all addresses from outage calls to pinpoint the power line or piece of equipment most likely damaged in each situation. The accuracy of that analysis is greatest when every customer experiencing an outage calls in their outage. Example.
Each transformer (the grey box located at the top of a power pole) in a neighborhood serves 5-12 homes. If a transformer goes out and all of the homes served by that transformer call in their outage, the outage system will quickly assess that the transformer is the likely problem. But only if one or two customers call in, it may take repair crews longer to determine it is the transformer rather than the power line or other pieces of equipment.
Prioritizing Restoration
The priority for restoring power during widespread outages:
- Health and public safety such as hospitals, police, fire, water/wastewater
- Facilities serving large segments of the public such as grocery stores and hotels
- Repairs that restore power to the greatest number of customers
Getting Assistance from other Utilities
Austin Energy has mutual assistance agreements with utilities across Texas. Austin Energy has been in contact with those utilities and those utilities are talking to each other. All will help each other, if needed, once the weather has passed through the region and there is available manpower beyond any emergency each utility may face. The availability of assistance from nearby states and neighboring utilities is reduced due to assistance being provided to Oklahoma, which has already experienced damaging freezing weather.
Austin Area Preparedness
Find more information on citywide preparations on the City of Austin's Web site, www.cityofaustin.org.
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