Thousands of CPS Energy customers found themselves without power Thursday night as severe storms rolled through San Antonio, bringing the first measurable rain of the month to our area. The utility reported more than 5,200 households and businesses lacking power as of 7:54 p.m., largely on the far northwest side past Loop 410. By 8 p.m., the number shot up to over 6,400 CPS Energy customers. Frequent lightning was also delaying the start of the high school football season at some arenas, including Comalander Stadium, where kickoff was scheduled for 7 p.m. before the delay.
Tens of thousands of customers are without power across Washington County. Dixie Power confirmed it is aware of and working on the outage, which was caused by an issue with the transmission system. Rocky Mountain Power estimated that power would be restored by 2:30 a.m. on Friday. “Transmission outages are complex to restore and require extensive coordination to safely bring the electrical system back online,” Dixie Power said. Dixie Power said that all ten electric entities serving Washington County have been working together to restart local generation and restore power. They said that critical facilities and essential services will be prioritized. They also said that until the main transmission system is back online, coordinated power outages would be necessary to maintain electrical stability. “This means that some areas may temporarily regain power and then experience another outage as electricity is rotated among different areas,” Dixie Power continued.
Washington City officials encouraged residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel until power is restored. Officers with the St. George Police Department told residents not to call 911 unless they need emergency services. “By doing so unnecessarily you tie up much needed resources for the emergencies that aren’t happening,” the police department said. They reminded residents that traffic signals that aren’t working should be treated as a four-way stop. “Right now is the time to drive as safe as possible without traffic signals working,” the police department said. The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services said state liquor stores in St. George and Hurricane would remain closed until power was restored.
