Austin Energy Reports 124,000 Outages in Wake of Record-Breaking May Storms

A severe weather event that struck Austin on May 28 has now been recorded as the third-worst storm in Austin Energy's history, resulting in power outages for more than 124,000 residents for nearly four days, as reported by utility officials.

Austin Energy representative Matt Mitchell stated that the effects were much greater than anticipated. “It turned out to be far more significant than anticipated and what we had predicted,” he said.

A fierce storm unleashed strong wind gusts, torrential rain, and lightning, resulting in a staggering 72,500 outages in just one day. A new wave of hurricanes that struck overnight has significantly increased the total number of outages.

“There were many obstacles,” Mitchell explained. “It wasn’t merely lightning, rain, or wind—it was a combination of all these elements, and they had a significant effect on our tree canopy and infrastructure.” The extent of that destruction was astonishing.

Areas that experienced significant impact included Shoal Creek, East Austin, and the far western parts of the city. Mitchell characterized the storm as a “microburst” event, highlighting its rarity and intensity, which played a significant role in the widespread destruction.

Austin Energy swiftly deployed its teams and sought assistance from various regions throughout the state. “We had crews in the field immediately,” said Mitchell, emphasizing that temperatures climbed to alarming levels in the days after the storm, which heightened the urgency of restoration efforts.

On June 15, a new wave of storms swept through the region, resulting in power outages for another 13,000 customers. By 9 p.m. that evening, around 300 customers were still experiencing service interruptions.

The utility announced that it is viewing the incident as an opportunity to gain insights and intends to conduct a review afterward. “While we don’t foresee such occurrences, we do prepare for them,” stated Mitchell. “These severe storms are expected to occur more often and may become increasingly intense.” We are analyzing the information to determine ways to enhance the durability of our systems and ensure a continuous power supply to a larger number of our clients.

Authorities are urging community members to develop an emergency outage strategy as severe weather events are increasingly affecting Central Texas.