Dallas Experiences Rolling Blackouts, Thanks to Ongoing Storms
Published March 17 2023, 2:37 p.m. ET
Because of an unreliable power grid and ongoing storms, Dallas residents are concerned about power outages.
Over the last few days, Texas has been slammed with thunder storms. Much of the Lone Star state is even under tornado watch. So it's unsurprising that residents are fearful of the power going out — if it's anything like the outages of 2021, homeowners could be without power for an extended period of time, and hospitals could be facing a serious crisis.
During a storm in early March, Star Telegram informed residents as to how to report an outage to the city's electric company.
"Oncor said flooding may cause delays as it works to restore power," wrote Tom Johanningmeir of Star Telegram. "To report an outage text OUT to 66267, use the MyOncor app, call 888-313-4747, or select 'Report an Outage' at stormcenter.oncor.com, where you can also see a map showing the outages."
If you're concerned about the weather and how it will affect your power, though, keep reading to prepare yourself.
Although the storm seems to be passing, Texas residents still fear outages.
Over the last few days, weather in Texas has been gnarly, to say the least.
According to Fox4 News, residents have been experiencing thunder storms, torrential rain, and high winds. Some reported hail, and there were even a number of tornado warnings. So, it comes as no surprise that homes across North Texas have also been experiencing power outages. On the evening of March 16, around 10 p.m., about 16,000 — mainly those in Fort Worth and Irving — were powerless.
Oncor hadn't given an expected restoration time, and more outages were expected while the storm continued to rage on.
But according to the Oncor outage map, which gives live updates for the power in North Texas (including Dallas), only a little over a thousand were still without power as of Friday, March 17, so the electric company is clearly working overtime to restore power to local customers. In Dallas, a little more than 800 people were still without power as of publication.
Residents can also download the WFAA app, which is available on the app store, as well as Google Play. With dozens of local radars, you can learn more about the forecast, see footage of the weather, and find out what current conditions are like. Just in case, though, you may want to prepare for possible evacuations. Though it's expiring, there were flood warnings for Dallas.
What's wrong with Texas' power grid?
In February 2021, millions of Texans were struggling with no heat or power, after Storm Uri triggered an energy grid failure. With little cold weather experience, snow and freezing temperatures caught residents —and the outdated infrastructure — by surprise. Residents, businesses, and hospitals lost electricity, and several people ultimately died.
In 2022, Texas' governor insisted the grid issues were fixed, and that outages won't be as severe or widespread.
Hopefully nothing like that happens again, but staying prepared for storms like this is crucial nonetheless.