Our latest winter storm didn’t prove to be all that wintry — at least in much of Kerr County — but that doesn’t mean it didn’t cause disruptions, especially in the western parts of the county.
Kerrville Public Utility Board crews got in front of the storm, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t busy. While 95 customers lost power, KPUB crews responded to a mutual-aid call to support Central Texas Electric Cooperative, which served harder-hit areas of the Hill Country.
“KPUB was prepared and ready to respond to any significant storm impacts, but fortunate that our service territory ended up faring well,” KPUB General Manager and CEO Mike Wittler said. “We’re currently helping restore power for our neighboring utility, CTEC, whose service territory did have storm damages. We anticipate continuing to provide mutual aid for their customers as long as help is needed.”
Four construction crews of 14 line workers began mutual aid on Thursday to restore power to CTEC customers in the Tierra Linda Ranch, Wilderness Community, Whiskey Canyon Ranch and Saddlewood Subdivision of Kerr County.
“Providing mutual aid during major events allows our personnel to learn, adapt and be better prepared for the future,” Wittler said. “It’s also part of being a good neighbor. Continuous improvement and lending a helping hand to our neighbors in need are integral parts of our company’s culture.”
KPUB’s most significant outage came Thursday to 76 customers in South Kerrville due to an equipment failure.
For the last three years, KPUB and other Hill Country utilities have worked together to restore power after weather events through mutual-aid agreements.
