Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative is preparing for severe winter weather. Forecasters are calling for arctic temperatures and potential snow and ice accumulation across the cooperative’s service territory from January 14-15, 2024. All BCEC crews will be on standby throughout the weekend and will be ready to be dispatched to restore power should any outages occur.
The severity of this winter storm is still uncertain at this point, but it is important to note that if conditions are severe, power disruptions and outages are likely and could last for several hours if not days.
During an outage, BCEC crews work to restore power to the largest number of people first.After fixing transmission and distribution lines and substations, the co-op’s crews move on to other outlying outages. In some instances, it is possible for the cooperative to redirect electricity or “back-feed” from other substations to get the lights back on faster. This is on a case-by-case basis and may not always be possible.
BCEC is asking all members to prepare for the worst. Members should assemble an emergency kit and be prepared to be without power for several days.
Red Cross Recommended Emergency Kit Essentials
- Styrofoam coolers to preserve food
- Ice to keep food cold
- Water– one gallon per person per day
- Food– non-perishable, easy-to-prepare
- Flashlights
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
- Multi-purpose tool
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Cell phone with charger
- Family and emergency contacts
Safety Tips
Additional safety tips to keep in mind:
- Stay away from downed lines or damaged electric equipment. Touching energized lines can lead to injuries and/or death. Always assume any downed lines are energized and dangerous. If you see downed lines, call BCEC immediately.
- If you use a generator, never run it inside your home or garage; some produce carbon monoxide fumes, which can be deadly. Please also ensure your generator is properly installed so it doesn’t back-feed onto our system and potentially harm our linemen who may be working on the lines during an outage.
Outage Information for Members
To report an outage, please call (877) 707-2232 and make a report online through the Member Portal or through the mobile app. During major outages, we tend to have an influx of calls that can delay outage reporting for members. This is why BCEC advocates for members to utilize the online Member Portal and mobile app.
Live outage information can be found on our outage map on our website. Our outage map is also available on mobile devices.
Outage information will also be updated on BCEC’s Facebook account.
Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative proudly serves over 27,000 members in Bowie, Cass, Franklin, Morris, Red River, & Titus counties in Northeast Texas. We’ve provided safe, affordable, & reliable power to rural Northeast Texas since 1937.