Oncor estimates storm-induced outages in North Texas will largely be restored by Friday (2024)

More than 230,000 North Texans remained without power Wednesday as Oncor officials announced they expect a significant portion of outages to be restored before the weekend.

As of Wednesday afternoon, about 234,900 customers were without power across the region, according to an Oncor outage map. Dallas County accounted for about 166,000 of those. Additionally, more than 300 traffic lights were still out and another 122 were flashing as of Tuesday night, according to a city news release.

At its peak, outages caused by Tuesday’s nearly 80 mph winds, golf ball-sized hail and rain topped 650,000, meaning crews restored power for more than 340,000 in under 24 hours.

Oncor said they estimate the outstanding power restoration will be “substantially complete” by Friday evening, with “harder hit” areas expected to be restored Saturday.

Grant Cruise, a spokesperson for Oncor, previously said some of the extended outages were due to downed power lines that would require complete rebuilding rather than simple repairs. Oncor requested assistance from other utility agencies across Texas and eight other states to repair lines as quickly as possible.

“We recognize the hardships and inconveniences customers experience after severe storms like this one and remain focused on restoring power as quickly and safely as possible,” officials wrote in a news release.

Among those still waiting Wednesday was Robert Paterson, who lives near the intersection of Warren Avenue and Jeffries Street in South Dallas.

Paterson said he has repeatedly reported his power outage in hopes of getting help but hasn’t heard back. In the meantime, he’s lost everything he had stored in his refrigerator, including recently purchased groceries and insulin to manage his diabetes.

“How can a person live like that?” Paterson said. “It’s too much. I just pray that it gets better.”

As officials work to make more progress, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said showers and scattered storms will move in from the west late Wednesday morning and linger into early afternoon. There will be a brief reprieve, the agency said, before more showers develop over Central Texas and expand into North Texas in the evening.

“A few strong to severe storms with large hail and very gusty winds can’t be ruled out,” the weather service said, adding significant rainfall and areas of flooding can be expected.

Another widespread chance of storms will return to North and Central Texas Thursday afternoon and evening, the weather service said, again with a risk of strong wind gusts, large hail and flooding.

The series of storms come days after a tornado tore through North Texas, killing seven and injuring more than 100 people around Valley View, a town about 60 miles northwest of Dallas.

Dallas forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5)

WEDNESDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy and warm with a 40% chance of a storm. Low: 69. High: 85. Wind: SE 10-15 mph.

THURSDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy and warm with a 40% chance of a storm. Low: 70. High: 85. Wind: SE 10-15 mph.

FRIDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy and warm with a 40% chance of a storm. Low: 72. High: 85. Wind: SE 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy and warm with a 30% chance of a storm. Low: 72. High: 87. Wind: SE 10-15 mph.