As the winter storm approaches North Texas, Oncor says extra crews are ready and service centers are being stocked with supplies they\u2019ll need to fix power lines and other equipment.<\/p>\n
How much they\u2019ll have to work depends on the amount of ice, snow and wind, said Oncor spokesperson Kerri Dunn.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a magic number,\u201d Dunn said, referring to the amount of ice that could cause significant disruption. \u201cEven a thin layer of ice can lead to impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ice accumulation can make a tree limb 30 times heavier, according to Oncor, and can add hundreds of pounds of weight to power lines. Wind makes damage more likely. Some parts of the area could be more affected than others, because even small variations in temperature and precipitation can make a big difference in terms of the threat to power lines.<\/p>\n
Dunn said the electric utility has distributed transformers, poles and other hardware across its region, which extends north to the Red River, as far south as Round Rock, and includes portions of West Texas. Scheduled tree trimming will continue ahead of the storm, safety permitting.<\/p>\n
Oncor also coordinates with electricity providers from other states, and in the past has used crews as far away as Alabama, North Carolina, Illinois and even New York. It\u2019s too early to tell who might be available if needed, Dunn said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis storm is expected to impact the entire country,\u201d she said. \u201cCrews from out of state may not be willing to send their own team members until they can understand what the impacts are in their region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides ice, snow and wind directly affecting power lines and causing limbs to break, vehicle accidents can also cause power outages. Vehicles that skid on icy roads routinely hit utility poles and transformers, the green metal boxes seen on roadsides.<\/p>\n
During last January\u2019s winter storm, Dunn said, Oncor noticed those types of accidents spiking just as ice started accumulating.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would have to take out the damaged equipment and replace it with new equipment,\u201d she said. \u201cSome of that can be very time intensive work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s any opportunity to avoid those outages in the first place by making sure that people stay off the road, if they don\u2019t have to be and just drive very cautiously, I think that\u2019s very appreciated by all of Texas,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, the winter storm approaching North Texas poses a significant threat to power lines and equipment, and Oncor is taking steps to prepare for potential outages. By understanding the risks and taking necessary precautions, residents can help minimize the impact of the storm.<\/p>\n
Q: What is Oncor doing to prepare for the winter storm?<\/p>\n
A: Oncor is stocking up on supplies, distributing transformers and poles, and coordinating with electricity providers from other states to prepare for potential outages.<\/p>\n
Q: How can I stay safe during the storm?<\/p>\n
A: Stay off the roads unless necessary, drive cautiously, and avoid traveling during icy conditions to minimize the risk of accidents and power outages.<\/p>\n
Q: What should I do if I experience a power outage?<\/p>\n
A: Contact Oncor to report the outage and follow their instructions for restoration. Stay safe and avoid downed power lines or damaged equipment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Winter Storm Preparation As the winter storm approaches North Texas, Oncor says extra crews are ready and service centers are being stocked with supplies they\u2019ll need to fix power lines and other equipment. How much they\u2019ll have to work depends on the amount of ice, snow and wind, said Oncor spokesperson Kerri Dunn. \u201cI don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":21132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21131","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/Z7PUSBNVPRHDHKISU2OXFO4MAQ.jpg?auth=09c24615470f599e5f6c5f3fa4e89b30b9bf2d8886b0f0becc325a8e15de65bb&quality=80&width=1200&height=630&smart=true","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21131"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21131"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21133,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21131\/revisions\/21133"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}