Sam Houston Electric Cooperative Advances Beryl Restoration

More than 1,000 line technicians and clearing crews continue to make progress in the pine forests of East Texas in Sam Houston Electric Cooperative’s service area. Crews have now rehabilitated 45,500 locations and continue to work throughout the region.

The damage to the entire Sam Houston grid was extensive. Seven of the 38 substations were not connected to the grid, but fortunately all were intact. Of the 123 feeder lines, 67 were completely out of service and many others were severely damaged. Many smaller lines, crossarms, and poles were broken.

The co-op said in a statement to customers today that they may not see crews in their immediate area, “but restoration work may not follow the roads, or they may be clearing another issue between your home and our substation that is preventing power from flowing.”

The cooperative also advised customers not to approach field crews. “They should focus on their safety and the safety of those around them. Even if they are sitting in their truck, they can talk to our system operators, update their card or discuss next steps with a supervisor. We appreciate all the kind wishes from our members and are passing on the messages shared online and by phone to our teams.”

Sam Houston listed estimates for when it expected nearly 90% of customers in the region to be able to receive it safely.

Here are some examples :

• Corrigan, Camden, Moscow and Leggett communities: Transmission service in this area has not yet been restored, but crews are working to clear downstream lines. Restoration is expected by the end of the day, July 12.
• Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, Midway Communities: Many main lines are expected to be operational tonight, with crews planning to restore the remainder on July 11.
• Indian Springs Community: Recovery is expected by end of day July 12.
• Soda, Marson, Seven Oaks, Providence, Lakeside Village communities: Restoration is expected by end of day July 11.

Sam Houston also thanked Bandera Electric Cooperative, CoServ, Central Texas Electric Cooperative, United Cooperative Services, CECA Comanche Electric Cooperative, Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and the many others who sent linemen to East Texas to help restore power to members. More than 1,000 linemen, contractors and vegetation management crews from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and other states are working in the region.