San Antonio, Texas — A severe thunderstorm overnight left 30,000 residents in the dark as lightning illuminated the city skies. By late Thursday morning, utility crews managed to reduce that number to approximately 10,000 as restoration efforts unfolded. Despite the progress, many customers may face extended outages.
Jose Trevino, vice president of construction and maintenance for CPS Energy, urged residents to remain patient as teams worked tirelessly to restore power. “We do anticipate that some outages could last over 24 hours,” he said. “We’ll keep updating our customers as we gather more information.” Currently, CPS Energy has dispatched over 100 crews throughout the service area to address the situation.
As of 1:45 p.m. Thursday, CPS Energy reported that 335 active outages were affecting around 5,500 customers. During a press conference at the utility’s headquarters, Trevino emphasized that available crews and contractors are on the ground assessing damages and restoring service as quickly as possible.
The southwestern quadrant of Bexar County, particularly the ZIP codes 78254, 78244, and 78250, experienced the most significant disruptions. The storm produced over 11,000 lightning strikes, contributing to widespread outages and ongoing heavy rain.
Trevino noted that many of the lingering outages stem from equipment damage caused by fallen trees and direct lightning hits. The utility’s priority remains on addressing downed power lines, with hopes that restoring key circuits will enable power to return to larger groups of customers.
A flash flood warning for the metro area has been extended as more storms are expected across central and southern Bexar County. The San Antonio Fire Department has responded to numerous reports of flooding, with officials confirming four flood-related fatalities thus far.
CPS Energy’s vice president of communications, Melissa Sorola, said community teams are actively reaching out to those affected by prolonged outages. If initial attempts to contact residents by phone or text fail, teams will make in-person visits.
Trevino acknowledged that restoration may appear slow initially. “When faced with a storm of this magnitude, the full extent of the damage can take time to assess,” he said, urging the public to stay informed as crews continue their work.
With over 944,000 customers in the greater San Antonio area, CPS Energy is making every effort to restore electricity and ensure the safety of its community during this challenging time.