Earlier on Tuesday, a severe storm hit Texas, causing over 600,000 households to lose power and forcing the closure of more than 100 polling stations, just as voters were heading to the polls to decide on several key runoff elections.
Due to the ongoing severe weather conditions, many of our polling centers are experiencing power outages. We encourage voters to use our polling center locator to find the nearest open location. Your safety is our top priority, so please travel safely. #DallasCountyVotes,” the Dallas County Elections Department wrote on social media shortly after voting began at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
Earlier that morning, many in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were awakened by tornado warnings blaring or emergency alerts on their phones, including tornado warnings and instructions to seek immediate shelter.
“DFW Airport reported gusts of up to 77 miles per hour at 5:47 am. If you are in a warning area, please seek shelter immediately,” the National Weather Service wrote at 5:52 am.
Subsequently, multiple warnings were issued throughout the morning, including alerts that “destructive storms” could bring baseball-sized hail to certain areas of the region and trigger flash flooding in many areas.
According to the power outage map from Oncor, a utility company, strong winds toppled trees and downed power lines, causing over 625,000 people in northern Texas to lose power. As of Tuesday afternoon, Dallas County had over 345,000 people without power in the affected areas.
Just days before the tornado warnings were issued, multiple destructive tornadoes swept through northern Texas on Saturday night, resulting in seven fatalities, including four children.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins stated in a press conference on Tuesday that despite many polling centers being closed countywide, voters still had the opportunity to vote at alternative precincts.
Full county voting was implemented in Dallas County as well as Collin, Denton, and Tarrant counties, allowing voters to cast their ballots at polling stations outside their precincts.
“We have what’s called full county voting, which means if the polling place near your home is not operational, you can go vote somewhere else,” he told reporters. “In Dallas County, we currently have 103 polling locations without power, but we have 180 polling locations that still have power.”
Officials indicated that the power outages were expected to last for several days, prompting Judge Jenkins to issue a disaster declaration.
In a post on social media, Judge Jenkins stated, “Currently, it’s estimated that the power outages will continue for several days for a large number of @Oncor customers, and I have instructed the civil prosecutor @Dallas_DA to prepare a disaster declaration for my signature.”
Lewis Jenkins from the Dallas County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reassured the public that the power outages were not due to grid issues.
“This is not a generation issue like we sometimes see in the cold or hot summer months,” Lewis Jenkins told reporters during Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a power line damage issue caused by the high winds.”
He mentioned that crews were working to address the outages, but they could face challenges in restoring power to the entire area. More thunderstorms with rain and strong winds were expected to occur as early as Tuesday night.
“Damage itself is not uncommon,” Lewis Jenkins said. “But the extent of the damage and the number of customers affected is rare.”