Northeast Texas has experienced several damaging storms over the past two months, resulting in delays for our new construction projects. We want to provide you with more information on these weather-related challenges and how we are addressing them.
We completely understand and share your frustration with the current delays in the construction of new service. 2024 has proven to be very challenging so far. There have been just as many days affected by heavy rain and storm restoration as there have been days for new service construction. Typically, our construction jobs have a 10-14 business day turnaround, but our outstanding jobs are currently about 4-6 weeks out due to finite resources and weather-related disruptions. We have four crews that handle new construction projects, but these are also the same guys tasked with storm restoration. While we seek external assistance for storm-related work, routine daily tasks are managed solely by our in-house crews.
Impact of Weather Conditions:
Severe Storms: Recent severe storms, including high winds, heavy rain, lightning, and isolated tornado events, have significantly delayed construction projects and necessitated redirecting our crews from routine work to storm recovery and restoration work to ensure the safety and reliability of existing services.
Flooding & Ground Saturation: Persistent rain has led to localized flooding and overly saturated ground conditions, making it unsafe and impractical for our crews to proceed with construction projects. These conditions require additional time for sites to dry and stabilize before work can safely resume.
Access Issues: Muddy and, at times, impassable roads and right-of-ways have hindered our ability to transport materials and equipment to construction sites. Safe access is crucial for our crews to perform their work efficiently and effectively.
Despite these weather-related challenges, we remain committed to delivering reliable and timely service. Here are some steps we are taking to manage delays:
Prioritizing Safety: The safety of our linemen and the quality of our installations are top priorities. We are taking all necessary precautions to ensure that work is done safely, even if it means delaying projects.
Monitoring Weather Conditions: Our team closely monitors weather forecasts and conditions to optimize scheduling and delays.
We understand that delays can be frustrating, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these weather-related challenges. Should you have any concerns or questions, please call our office at 903-846-2311.
Thank you for being a valued member of Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative. We are dedicated to overcoming these obstacles and providing our membership with safe, reliable, and affordable electric service.