Lights Out, Zilker Closed After Storm

Latest news from the city and Austin Energy after the storm: as of 4pm, over 10,000 residents are still without power, and that could continue throughout the weekend. Emergency facilities are being organized, and maintenance crews will be working 24 hours a day until repairs are complete (hopefully by Saturday).

As for the city, citizens should note the Conley-Guerrero Senior Center and the Community Care Services Department's Rosewood Zaragosa clinic are "non-operational" due to the power outage. Zilker Botanical Gardens will be closed right through the weekend, and the only City golf course open is Roy Kizer. But considering further storms are likely, golfing doesn't seem like the smartest plan.

AE's full press release after the jump.

Currently there are about 10,000 Austin Energy customers without power. Repairs are still needed at an estimated 360 locations due to extensive damage caused by broken tree limbs and lightning during the overnight storm. Austin Energy projects it could be Saturday mid morning before power is restored to all customers.

Austin Energy will work around the clock until power has been restored to all customers. All linemen and restoration coordinators routinely work 16-hour shifts during major outages. Austin Energy has had 34 repair and 20 tree trimming crews in service today. Those crews will work into the evening hours. Another 17 crews will return to work this evening and will work throughout the night, with 30-33 crews in service Friday.

Customers should be prepared for the possibility that they will be without power through Saturday mid-morning. The City is setting up a City-wide shelter as well as water and ice stations in strategic locations and will get informational flyers out this evening to fire stations in heavily affected areas indicating the locations of those assistance stations.

Damage to the Austin Energy system has been extensive. Many of the repair locations today required extensive tree trimming in advance of repairs and involved situations where power lines were torn from poles by falling trees limbs or by uprooted trees. System damage has also included broken poles, broken cross arms and damaged transformers and other equipment.