Full Breakdown
Severe Storms Disrupt Power Across San Antonio
8/30/2026, 12:10:38 AM
Utility Restoration Efforts
CPS Energy’s interim president and CEO Frank Almaraz briefed the press, noting that crews had restored power to roughly 40,000 customers overnight and were mobilizing all available resources, including outside assistance and union-coordinated crews. Almaraz also urged customers to treat all downed lines as energized and to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to preserve food.
City Resources and Cooling Centers
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones directed residents to 311 for assistance and confirmed that most city libraries remain open as cooling sites, except for the Bazan, Las Palmas and San Pedro branches. Additional resilience hubs—Copernicus, Garza, Miller’s Pond, Normoyle, the Northeast Senior Center and the Southside Lion Center—provide extended hours and overnight shelter. Deputy City Manager María Villagómez said VIA Metropolitan Transit is offering free rides to these locations and encouraged anyone with debris or damage to report it via 311 or the city’s online portal. Animal shelters are also seeking emergency fosters for pets displaced by the outages.
Data & Statistics
- Peak impact: over 112,000 customers experienced outages at the storm’s height.
- As of Saturday morning, 562 outages remained, with about 250 downed lines still being addressed.
- The Five Points neighborhood alone lost power to roughly 24,000 customers, about one-third of the total affected.
- Measured wind speeds ranged from 50–65 mph, with gusts up to 77 mph recorded at the airport.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Because of extensive damage caused by wind and falling trees, we have downed lines, broken poles, and fallen trees,” — Frank Almaraz, energy interim CEO
- “We should have a significant reduction in our outages throughout the day today, but as we clear the big ones and then get to the smaller and smaller ones, it will take days to do that, I would expect through the weekend, and you know into the early part of next week as a you know preliminary assumption,” — Frank Almaraz, energy interim CEO
- “We’ll be working with them as we keep the resiliency hubs open overnight to make sure that we have transportation as well,” — Maria Villagomez, deputy city manager
- “We will continue these cleanup efforts, and it’s gonna take some time again, so we ask for your patience,” — Maria Villagomez, deputy city manager
- “We have down lines, broken poles and fallen trees. Some of these outages are going to extend several days,” — Frank Almaraz, energy interim CEO
