Nearly 8,000 members of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative lost power late Thursday in southeastern Travis County after scattered thunderstorms rumbled through Central Texas, cutting electricity to neighborhoods east of State Highway 130 and along State Highways 71 and 21. Crews moved in as the storms threatened to fire back up overnight, turning restoration work into a moving target.
According to KVUE, the outages were reported after 10 p.m., and the cooperative’s outage tracker showed nearly 8,000 customers without power in the southeastern part of the county. KVUE reported that the cause of the outage was not immediately known as crews fanned out to assess damage.
The National Weather Service forecast called for scattered thunderstorms to linger overnight across the region, with gusty winds and downed limbs among the hazards that can slow restoration. Meteorologists warned that spotty storms could redevelop over the same stretches of roadway, making access and safety a top concern for utility crews.
Where The Lights Went Out
As KVUE reported, the biggest outage clusters are east of State Highway 130 along SH 71 and SH 21, an area crisscrossed by rural feeders and small subdivisions. In those spots, crews often have to clear debris before they can even start repairing lines, and the combination of distance, terrain and overnight rain can stretch out restoration times.
How To Check And Report Outages
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative directs members to a live outage viewer and offers multiple ways to report or track issues: text “OUT” to 44141, call 800-949-4414, use the MyBluebonnet app, or visit the outage page for text-alert enrollment and estimated restoration information. Those tools are the quickest way for affected members to see if their address is already on a repair ticket.
What Crews Prioritize First
Restoration crews typically start with hospitals, emergency facilities and major feeders, then move into smaller pockets, so some homes could be in the dark for several hours depending on damage and road conditions. Statewide outage trackers show thousands of customers across Texas dealing with storm-related outages this week, underscoring how widespread the disruption has been. For a running tally, see PowerOutage.com.
