Guide
Power lines and wet homes
Water and electricity are the first safety question after a storm or a flood. Pedernales Electric Cooperative's guidance is a useful baseline if it serves your address.
Connects you with an independent restoration contractor.
Downed lines
Pedernales Electric Cooperative tells customers to stay at least 50 feet away from any hazard, including a downed line or damaged equipment. It says to treat every fallen line as live and to call 888-883-3379. If someone is in contact with a downed line, do not touch them, and call 911.
To report an outage, PEC accepts calls at 888-883-3379 and texts. Text the word OUTAGE to 25022 from the mobile number on your account. PEC says its social media pages are not monitored for outage reports.
Inside the house
If water has reached outlets, appliances or the breaker panel, do not stand in the water to reach the panel. Call your electric provider. If you cannot tell who serves you, your bill will say.
Wet electrical equipment can stay unsafe after it dries. Have it checked before turning it back on.
After you report an outage
PEC says to turn off the appliances that were on when service went out, leaving one lamp on so you know when power returns, and to turn off breakers to major appliances. When power comes back, switch appliances on again in 15-minute intervals to avoid overloading.
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. PEC says an unopened refrigerator holds cold for about four hours and an unopened freezer for about 48 hours.
Who fixes what
PEC says it repairs only its own equipment. Problems with the wiring and panel past its meter need a licensed electrician, and only PEC employees may service or remove a meter. For repairs that need an interruption of service, PEC lists 888-554-4732. Its emergency line, 888-883-3379, is for hazards and damaged equipment.
A flicker is the line's protective device tripping and trying again. PEC says the breaker recloses on its own after two seconds if the fault has cleared.
If you run a generator, PEC says connecting one to a home's circuits without a UL-approved open-transition or automatic transfer switch violates the electrical code. PEC lists 888-554-4732 for a service modification or meter disconnect.
Water is still moving. Call now.
One call connects you with an independent restoration contractor who serves the Kyle area. Then you decide what happens next.