Storms, ice and summer heat can knock out power across West Texas, and the hours during and after an outage are when many electrical injuries and house fires happen. The February 2021 winter storm, Winter Storm Uri, knocked out power for nearly 70 percent of Texans and claimed at least 210 lives, according to the Texas Comptroller. This checklist covers the electrical side of being ready: who to call, how to use backup power safely, and what to check before turning things back on.
1. Know Who to Call
Outages on the power lines are the utility’s job. Problems inside your home are an electrician’s job. In the Abilene area, power is delivered by AEP Texas in much of the region and by Taylor Electric Cooperative for many rural members. Your electric bill shows which one is yours.
| Utility | Report an outage |
|---|---|
| AEP Texas (Abilene and many nearby areas) | Call 1-866-223-8508 or use the online outage report |
| Taylor Electric Cooperative (many rural members in Taylor County and beyond) | Call (325) 793-8500 or use the co-op’s app, as listed on its report an outage page |
Taylor Electric notes that outages should not be reported through social media. In the City of Abilene, the fire department recommends signing up for CodeRED alerts and keeping a NOAA weather radio on; see the city’s severe weather preparedness page.
2. Before Storm Season
- Install carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends interconnected CO alarms, so that when one sounds they all sound, and testing them monthly.
- Find your main breaker and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and how to switch it off.
- Label your panel. A panel with accurate labels makes it much easier to shut off one circuit safely.
- Plan your backup power. If you want a generator to run part of the house, have a transfer switch or interlock installed before you need it. See generator installation.
- Consider surge protection. A whole-house surge protector at the panel adds protection for appliances and electronics when power is restored.
- Stock flashlights and batteries rather than relying on candles.
- Leave trees near power lines to the utility. Do not trim branches near overhead lines yourself.
3. During an Outage
- Unplug sensitive electronics and switch off large appliances so they are not hit by a surge when power comes back. Leave one light switched on so you know when power returns.
- Run portable generators outdoors only. CPSC says to operate them at least 20 feet away from the house, and never inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or shed, even with doors and windows open. CPSC reports that an average of nearly 100 people die in the U.S. each year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by portable generators.
- Never back-feed your house through an outlet. Plugging a generator into a wall outlet with a double-ended cord can send power back out onto the utility lines, where it can injure line workers and anyone near a downed line. It can also start a fire. Use extension cords rated for the load to run appliances directly, or have a transfer switch or interlock installed.
- Use space heaters carefully. CPSC advises plugging electric heaters directly into a wall outlet, never a power strip, and keeping at least three feet of clearance from beds, curtains and furniture. Our guide on warm plugs and outlets explains the warning signs.
- Refuel generators outside, away from flames or sparks, and let them cool first.
4. Downed Power Lines
AEP Texas advises treating all power, telephone and cable lines as live and staying as far away from them as possible. Do not touch anything in contact with a downed line, including fences, cars or puddles, and keep children and pets away. Report it to your utility right away.
5. After the Storm
- If water reached outlets, the panel or appliances, do not touch them and do not switch the power back on. Have an electrician inspect the system first.
- If the service mast, meter base or wires to the house are damaged, call your utility and ask whether any repairs are needed on your side before they can restore power. If they are, an electrician can make them.
- Watch for warning signs once power is back: lights that flicker or get brighter and dimmer, outlets or switches that feel warm, buzzing, or a burning smell. See flickering lights and what an electrical fire smells like.
- Breakers that trip repeatedly after a storm can point to water, damage or a short. Leave them off and have them checked. See why a breaker keeps tripping.
- Do not enter a damaged building until you are told it is safe, as the City of Abilene advises.
Utility or Electrician? A Quick Guide
| What you see | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Your whole street is dark | Your utility |
| A power line is down | Your utility (and 911 if there is fire or someone is hurt) |
| Only your home is out, and the main breaker is on | Your utility first, then an electrician if the utility finds no problem on its side |
| Part of the house is out, or lights flicker and dim | An electrician |
| Water got into outlets, the panel or appliances | An electrician, before turning power back on |
| Smoke, flames or a strong burning smell | 911 |
Printable Checklist
- Know which utility serves you and save its outage number.
- Sign up for local emergency alerts.
- Install interconnected CO alarms and test them monthly.
- Know where the main breaker is, and label the panel.
- Plan generator use: outdoors, 20 feet from the house, never back-fed through an outlet.
- Unplug electronics during an outage; leave one light on.
- Treat every downed line as live.
- Have flooded or damaged electrical equipment inspected before restoring power.
Need Help Before or After a Storm?
If you are in Abilene or one of the nearby towns we serve, call (325) 326-5306 for generator and transfer switch installation, surge protection, or an electrical check after storm damage. For anything urgent, see our emergency electrician page.
