Linemen are still working through repairs in East Texas

LONGVIEW — Some East Texans have been without electricity for almost a week now. Power companies are still working through the extensive recovery process throughout several counties in East Texas. Adding that this recovery process, which started one week ago, has been extensive and widespread. “Most of the time you know you can go to one location and find 10-20 poles here we’ve been taken to 10-20 locations and find one pole. It’s been very widespread,” said Skeen. SWEPCO’s sister companies came out from Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Skeen estimated that there are still about 1,000 personnel on the ground.

Our news partner KETK spoke with Jimmy Skeen, a SWEPCO Base Camp Manager: “I tell people it took years to build the system, it’s destroyed in a matter of minutes.” He added that the linemen are grateful for the support and hospitality they’ve received from East Texans. “Everyone we’ve encountered has really been just super, I mean we have had the communities reach out wanting to know what they can do for us, which is amazing,” said Skeen.