Update from Rio Grande Electric Cooperative, Inc.
"Dan Laws here with a status update. RGEC crews are scattering new poles
and materials along the transmission line where poles are broken. Two
contractor crews will arrive soon to begin setting the new poles. Two
additional crews will arrive this afternoon to assist setting poles and
stringing wire. While all this sounds good, the ground is beginning to
thaw making it difficult for trucks to move up and down the right of
way. Accordingly, we have one dozer on location and another in route to
help pull the trucks through the mud. At this point I am reluctant to
change my predication as to when power will be restored. Although we
have a lot of downed line scattered throughout west Texas, Brewster
County is our number one priority, because of the number of consumers
impacted."

And earlier:
"To all of our members in Brewster County, this is Dan Laws.
Accumulations of ice on the transmission line that serves the county
have become significant enough that the poles and line have begun to
fall. At this point it looks like there are thirty poles on the ground.
The cascade effect began when a truck hit the line on highway 67, just
north of US 90. The line was hanging low due the accumulation of ice.
When the truck snagged the line it started a domino effect and pole
after pole began to fall.
The upshot of this event is that power will not likely be restored until
Monday or Tuesday of next week. We will do everything humanly possible
to shorten that time frame, but conditions are bad. Once the
temperatures warm then we will have mud to contend with."