Repair work on the damaged electric underground network in Laredo is continuing and AEP Texas anticipates restoring power to the affected 38 customers in stages starting Tuesday. However, it is still too early to predict when restoration will be completed.

AEP Texas plans to meet personally with the impacted customers Monday to discuss restoration progress and to answer their questions.

It has been noted that pedestrians have been straying into the sectioned-off work area, and persons walking in this area are cautioned to stay clear of the work site for safety reasons.

Electric crews have been working around the clock to restore service, including crews from Laredo, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Columbus, Ohio, and contract workers. AEP Texas has been working with the help of the city to help clear out the debris and clean up the damaged areas so repairs can be made.

“We understand everyone’s desire to get electric service restored and we apologize for the inconvenience this outage has caused,” said Tony Arce, AEP Texas community affairs manager. “We will continue to keep the lines of communication open with the impacted customers and we will be working as quickly and safely as possible for a timely service restoration.”

Customers are asked to not use a generator because they can “back feed” electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public.