Severe weather aftermath: What you need to know about outages, road closures and food safety
At its peak during the overnight storms, AEP reported that 156,000 Valley customers were without power.
This is by far the most we've seen this year.
For Magic Valley Electric Cooperative, about 15,000 of their customers are without power. At last check, Brownsville Public Utilities Board says under 400 people are still without power.
Local police departments want to tell residents that if you want to report an outage do not call 911, instead call your utility provider.
For AEP customers, you can all 866-223-8508 or report an outage on their website.
For Magic Valley customers, you can call 1-866-225-5683 or report an outage on their website.
BPUB customers can call (956) 983-6300 or report an issue on their website.
AEP gave an update as to when some Valley residents can expect their power to return to normal.
The current estimated times are:
Rio Grande City, Port Isabel and Harlingen areas expected to return to power by 10 p.m. tonight.
Weslaco residents should get their power back by 8 p.m. tomorrow.
McAllen residents should have power back by 6 p.m. on Monday and Edinburg, Pharr, and Mission residents will have power restored by 10 p.m. Monday night.
Water boil notice
There is currently a boil water notice for people living in Progreso, Donna, South Alamo and Santa Maria.
Officials say because of the storm causing electrical power outages, the water pressure went below the 20 SPI.
This affected the ability to maintain and deliver water to the system around 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning. If you're washing your hands or face, brushing your teeth or want to drink from the tap, the water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
Tips on consuming food safely after power outages
Those who lost power in your homes likely had some groceries that went bad overnight. Here are some tips on how to make sure you're consuming food safely.
During a power outage, keep the fridge and freezer doors closed. If the doors stay closed, food will stay safe for up to 4 hours in a fridge and 48 in a full freezer. If your freezer is only halfway full, it should last 24 hours.
After a power outage, you should never taste the food to determine if it's safe to eat.
You're advised by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to throw out any perishable food after 4 hours without power or a cold source.
When in doubt, throw it out, this goes for any food with an unusual color, smell or texture.
If you have a food thermometer and can check the temperature of your food and test the items in your freezer. If it's above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it's not safe to eat.
You can cook thawed frozen food if it still has ice crystals or is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Road safety concerns due to downed power lines
The city of McAllen is encouraging residents to avoid driving on the city's streets if possible to avoid downed trees and power lines.
McAllen Public Work's crews are currently working to clear up debris from the storm. They are asking for the public's patience as they work.
If you must travel, use caution, as many street intersections are without working traffic signals. Do not drive through intersections or roads with downed power lines.
Some closures to keep in mind, U.S. 281 Military Highway is currently closed from Pedro Martinez Road to Mile 1 East because of power lines in the street.
There are also closures on North Alamo Road, both north and southbound. Roads are expected to open by 6 p.m. on Monday.
If you need to report damage, visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website.
Residents for all four Valley counties are encouraged to self report damages to property, whether it be homes or business locations.
Getting rid of storm debris
If you live in Mission and have debris, you can get rid of it at your local landfill
The city of Mission posted on their Facebook page that they are opening up their landfill for people to drop off their debris free of charge.
You can drop off debris tomorrow morning from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the address is 150 Abelino Farias Street.
If you only need to drop off brush, you can do so at 1400 South Conway.
This service is for Mission residents only, you must live inside city limits and bring proof of residency.