Storm Center
Our goal is to provide members with reliable electric power, but even the best systems sometimes have bad days. Use these resources to learn about emergency preparedness.
Report Downed Lines Immediately!
DO NOT approach, touch or attempt to move downed power lines or items that have fallen on them. These are extremely dangerous situations. Report all downed lines immediately by calling CVEC at 325-655-6957.
If severe weather is in the forecast, take precautions to assure your safety and comfort. Here are some steps you can take to prepare BEFORE inclement weather.
- Make sure CVEC has your correct telephone number on file. If you need to update this phone number, please contact a CVEC Member Services Representative at 325-655-6957.
- Activate contingency plans for patients with a medical necessity for electric power. Have a back-up source for medical devices and a plan to evacuate to a facility that is not affected by the power outage.
- Keep batteries, flashlights, a first-aid kit, and a battery-powered radio or TV in your home.
- Keep a supply of canned or dry food on hand along with a manual can opener and one gallon of drinking water per person per day in case water isn't available.
- If you depend on a well, fill bathtubs or other large containers for household use, like flushing commodes.
- Remember to charge your mobile phone in case phone and power lines go out.
- Fill your gas tank before a storm arrives, as gas pumps do not work if electricity is out.
- Automatic teller machines will also shut down if the power fails, so have cash on hand.
- Check the fluid and tire air levels in your vehicle.
- Make sure your children understand the danger of downed power lines.
- Wear shoes and have a "go kit" of extra clothes and personal items in case you have to evacuate.
- Secure valuable papers and electronics in waterproof containers or plastic bags.
- Make sure you have several days' worth of medications in case pharmacies are closed. If your medications require refrigeration, have a backup plan to keep them cool if the power goes out.
- Unplug electronic devices in your home such as TVs, computers, etc. to protect them in case of a power surge.
- Have a mask, gloves and hand sanitizer for each member of your household on hand.
- Visit https://www.ready.gov/languages for more information on disaster preparation.
Medical Priority
Customers having a medical necessity for electricity should notify CVEC.
CVEC cannot guarantee uninterruptible service, so if you or a family member depends on a medical life-support device, you are responsible for providing a back-up source of power for the medical device or having a plan to evacuate to a facility that is not affected by the power outage (fire station, hospital, etc.).
However, to qualify for "medical priority" status, there must be someone living permanently in your home who depends on life-sustaining equipment (i.e. electrically driven oxygen concentrator, nebulizer, suction machine, feeding pump, dialysis machine).
Having your account flagged "medical priority" means that we would attempt to contact you by telephone, if your line needed to be de-energized (for repair, upgrading, etc.), and inform you of the expected length of outage.
Please note, however, that it does not exempt you from being disconnected for nonpayment or for outages due to uncontrollable reasons.
In order to place your account on "medical priority", we need a letter from your doctor stating medical need and name of person.
Outage Reporting
Report outages by calling 325-655-6957 or via the SmartHub App!
Click here to launch the CVEC Outage Viewer
Things You Should Know And Do In Case Of A Power Outage
Concho Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc. is proud of its longstanding tradition of providing dependable electric service.
Interruptions in your service can occur at any time due to a number of reasons. We understand, regardless of the reason, it is both frustrating and inconvenient.
For that reason, we at CVEC urge each of you to become familiar with our office telephone number and the information we need to restore power in the least amount of time.
If You Should Experience An Outage
- First check your fuses and circuit breakers. If some of your lights work, the trouble is probably in the fuses or circuit breakers.
- Check with your neighbors to see if their power is off.
- If you determine that an outage has occurred, please report it immediately. Please provide the following information for the quickest results.
- Your name and address as it appears on your bill.
- Your account number, if possible.
- Your phone number.
- Your home's exact address.
- The person calling in, if different from the name that appears on the bill.
- The time the outage occurred.
- Any other information that may be helpful to the Cooperative, such as, location of any wires that are down or fallen, trees that are in the lines, poles on fire, sparks flying, etc.
- After you have the information above, please call 325-655-6597 or use the SmartHub App.
- Outage reporting is available after hours, weekends and holidays.
In the event of severe weather, check CVEC's social media pages frequently for updates regarding power outages and the latest storm information. Rest assured that CVEC's professional staff is making every effort to restore your electric service as quickly as possible.
READ posts on power restoration efforts on our Facebook page.
FOLLOW CVEC on Twitter for power restoration news.
Stay safe during an outage and protect against the hazards of the aftermath of severe storms by following this advice:
During a Storm:
- Stay INSIDE during the storm. Downed power lines, rapidly moving water and falling trees make it dangerous to be outside.
- Take refuge in an interior room, closet or hallway away from windows and, where possible, go to the lowest level of the building. Close all interior doors. Secure and brace external doors. Close window blinds/curtains to help protect against possible broken glass (putting a blanket over windows is also helpful.)
- If you hear warning sirens, take cover immediately! Siren activation means a tornado warning is in place (tornado watch = conditions are favorable to spawn tornadoes; tornado warning = a tornado has been spotted in the area).
- Texting your family and friends to check on their safety is usually better than calling as storms can knock out cell phone towers or call volumes might be too high to allow all calls to go through.
Following a Storm:
- DO NOT approach, touch or attempt to move downed power lines or items that have fallen on them. Report all downed lines immediately by calling CVEC at 325-655-6957 or 911. Make sure your children understand the danger of downed power lines.
- Take care when stepping into a flooded area and be aware that submerged outlets or electrical cords may energize the water, which can result in lethal electrocution.
- Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet. Water can damage the motors in electrical appliances.
- Listen for post-storm safety messages, such as "boil water" warnings and road closures.
- Drive only when necessary as the streets could have significant debris and/or they could have been structurally compromised.
- Do not drive on flooded or barricaded roads or bridges - they are closed for your protection. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle and 2 feet of water will carry most cars away.
- Wait 30 minutes after the power comes back on before plugging in electronic devices and turning on HVAC systems to minimize impact to the power grid.
During an outage:
- Turn off heating and air conditioning systems and unplug sensitive electronic appliances such as TVs, VCRs, microwave ovens and home computers to avoid damage from surges.
- Don't leave candles unattended and keep them away from furniture, draperies and other flammable materials.
- Limit freezer and refrigerator door openings. Food will keep longer if doors remain closed.
- Do not burn charcoal or run any gasoline-powered equipment in an enclosed space. They may produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless poisonous gas.
- Strictly follow manufacturer’s guidelines for generator use. Improperly installed generators can injure or kill a utility worker who is working to restore your power.
- Leave an outside light on so repair crews will know when power is back on.
- Stay away from areas where CVEC crews are working. They can restore power faster if they are not interrupted. Before restoring power, CVEC crews must inspect the lines to isolate damage, so don't be alarmed if they pass your home more than one time.
How is Power Restored?
CVEC's power distribution system is designed, constructed, maintained and operated to maximize reliability at a reasonable cost. Sometimes, though, acts of nature and equipment failures do cause power outages.
Most outages affect a small area and have minor causes, and the power is restored quickly. Sometimes, though, storms and natural disasters cause widespread damage to the power system, and extended outages result. If this happens, CVEC restores power to the greatest number of members first in order to minimize the outage time for the greatest number of people.
How Concho Valley EC Restores Your Power
- If any high-voltage transmission lines are damaged, these must be repaired first no power can flow to the substations serving our distribution lines if the transmission lines are out of service. While these lines seldom fail, a tornado or ice storm can damage these lines. Typically, transmission line outages affect thousands of customers.
- Any substations without power after all transmission lines are back on must be repaired. If a substation is without power, no customers on the lines emanating from that substation can receive power.
- Main distribution supply lines (circuits) are checked next if the substation is energized. Crews patrol the circuits from the substation out, repairing problems on the main line and isolating (but not necessarily repairing) damage on small tap-lines. As the crews reach switches in the main line, sections of the line from the substation out are progressively energized. This method ensures that the greatest number of people on the circuit receive power as quickly as possible. Tap lines and individual service lines are not repaired at this point, so some members may see their neighbor's lights come back on, but not theirs.
- After the main supply lines (circuits) are back on, the crews begin repairing tap lines off the main lines to restore power to more people. These tap lines typically serve 3 to 20 customers.
- After all tap lines are repaired, individual service lines are repaired.
IMPORTANT
No utility can guarantee uninterruptible service, so if you or a family member depends on a medical life-support device, you are responsible for providing a back-up source of power for the medical device or having a plan to evacuate to a facility that is not affected by the power outage. Visit the Storm Preparation tab on this page.