BEAUMONT, Texas — More than 1,600 Entergy customers in Hardin County are still without power Tuesday morning after being without electricity since Saturday night.
Entergy said on Monday afternoon that it hoped to have had all customers restored by 10 p.m.. Monday night.
Most lost power Saturday night when a line of thunderstorms passed through the area leaving street flooding and downed powerlines and trees.
By Tuesday morning in Hardin County 1,640 customers were still without power according to the Entergy outage website.
Entergy deployed a mobile command center to Beaumont to act as a field command center during the restoration of power.
All areas were expected to have power back by Sunday night with the exception of Jefferson and Hardin County, which were hit hardest, according to Entergy.
Here's a look at the current outages by county...
- Hardin - 1,640
- Jefferson - 49
- Liberty - 2
- Orange - 5
- Tyler - 55
J.D. Nickson has lived in the Amelia neighborhood in Beaumont for nine years. On Monday morning he had been without power since 8 p.m. Saturday.
"We've just sent the kids away, we've toughened it out and we're going forth from here," he said. "One of their biggest things is WIFI. They need that internet access to use their tablets."
The challenges of life without power keep adding up to families across Southeast Texas.
Wind gusts up to 70 mph were recorded in Beaumont and Lumberton.
The storm left street flooding and wind damage all over the area with downed trees and powerlines in both counties.
There were several reports of trees on and in homes.
Entergy says their process of restoring damage after a storm is strategic.
"Our process initially is to assess the situation, you know we have to go all the way down to the power station level and make sure there's no damage to power stations," said Entergy Customer Service Manager Paul Blackburn. "We have to go down to the transmission level and make sure that our highline's are still intact and don't need to be addressed."
More than 15,000 homes and businesses just in Beaumont, lost power.
Entergy say's they have restored power to 90% of the customers in Beaumont.
"After the initial assessment, we began to assign crews to specific tickets, in order to get our crucial services online all the way down to our last customer," Blackburn said.
Entergy reps tell 12News they dispatched 83 crews from out of state to help with the damage control.
"We know customers are out, that's not what we want, nobody wants that. Customers don't want that, Entergy doesn't want that and we want to get people back online as quickly as we possibly can," Blackburn said.
MORE | Entergy Outage Map
Storm damage in Southeast Texas following Saturday night storm
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
Here’s some tips from the Entergy website on how to stay safe during an outage…
Create an emergency preparedness kit, including a flashlight, batteries, and first aid supplies.
Maintain supplies of healthy and filling snacks that don't require refrigeration, such as dried fruits, nuts and protein bars.
Make sure you have alternative charging methods for your phone or any device that requires power.
Purchase ice or freeze water-filled plastic containers to help keep food cold during a temporary power outage.
Learn about the emergency plans established in your area by contacting your state or local emergency management agency.
If you rely on anything that's battery-operated or power dependent, such as a medical device, have a backup plan.
Maintain backup generators according to manufacturers' recommendations and store an adequate supply of fuel in a safe place.
During an outage, disconnect or switch off appliances and electronic equipment that were running when the power went out. Avoid opening refrigerators and freezers to save cold air and preserve food longer.
Generators | Operate backup generators safely by following manufacturer's instructions. Don't attempt to connect your generator to the electrical system; it can backfeed to outdoor utility lines and injure or kill utility service personnel. An automatic transfer switch — installed by a qualified electrician — will help to ensure safe operation. Learn more here.
Refrigerated foods | Discard any perishable items in your refrigerator or freezer that may not be safe to consume. A refrigerator keeps food at a safe temperature for up to four hours during a power outage if it remains closed. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends discarding foods such as meat, poultry and eggs if they've been above 40°F for more than two hours. Learn more here.