Latest on S.A. storm damage, days-long power outages – mysanantonio.com

Latest on S.A. storm damage, days-long power outages  mysanantonio.com

A powerful storm that moved through San Antonio on Friday night, August, 28, was a downburst, not a microburst, according to the National Weather Service. What caused Friday night’s powerful storm? A downburst happens when a powerful column of sinking air inside a thunderstorm rushes toward the ground and spreads outward, creating straight-line winds. Rain-cooled air becomes heavier and denser as it sinks, helping produce strong wind gusts. Winds reached about 60 mph during Friday night’s storm. CPS Energy warns outages could last for days The storm caused widespread damage, business closures and power outages across the city. CPS Energy said it could take days to restore power because of the severity of the damage and directed customers without electricity to cooling centers as temperatures were expected to reach the mid-90s Saturday.

During a news conference Saturday, CPS Energy officials said about 112,000 customers were impacted at the peak of the outages, with crews dealing with roughly 250 downed power lines. The Five Points area saw some of the worst damage, where 15 breakers were knocked out and about 24,000 customers lost power at the peak. That area alone accounted for roughly one-third of those still without power. CPS Energy expects outages to drop significantly throughout the day as crews prioritize larger clusters that can bring the most customers back