Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB), alongside nearly 40 mutual aid personnel, successfully restored power following the devastating Hill Country flooding event that began during the early morning hours of July 16.
Power outages began occurring just before 1:00 a.m. as floodwaters and severe weather damaged electric infrastructure across KPUB’s service territory. The outage count peaked at 3:25 a.m., affecting 5,708 customers, the Texas public power utility reported.
Throughout the restoration effort, KPUB crews responded to 134 individual outage locations and completed repairs to 2 river-crossing power line spans while working under extremely challenging conditions, including flooded roadways, damaged infrastructure, downed power lines, and impassable roadways.
Recognizing the magnitude of the event, KPUB issued a request for mutual aid by 5 a.m., just hours after outages began.
That early request brought nearly 40 additional line workers and tree personnel from James Power Line Construction, Sendero Power Line Construction, Inc., and Townsend Tree Service to Kerrville, allowing restoration efforts to expand quickly as conditions improved.
“Calling for mutual aid early allowed us to bring additional resources into our community before they were committed elsewhere,” said Mike Wittler, KPUB General Manager and CEO. “That decision, combined with the dedication of our employees and partners, helped us safely restore power as quickly as conditions allowed.”
As soon as conditions permitted, KPUB crews prioritized repairs that restored service to the greatest number of customers as quickly and safely as possible. By 9:30 a.m., the number of customers without power had been reduced to approximately 2,643. By 12:45 p.m., that number had been reduced to 1,795, followed by 529 customers by 4:30 p.m., approximately 300 customers by 6:30 p.m., and just 27 customers by 8:30 p.m.
One of the most challenging restorations involved 82 customers in the Cade Loop and Connie Lane area.
Although floodwaters had receded, the Cade Loop bridge in Ingram had been damaged by the flooding and was no longer passable, preventing crews from reaching the outage by the normal route. Rather than waiting for the bridge to reopen, KPUB crews worked with local property owners to identify a safe alternate route across private property. After securing permission, crews transported a KPUB Can-Am side-by-side along the alternate route to reach the damaged equipment and restore power to the affected customers.
The final restoration efforts also required specialized equipment and innovative solutions. At the Riverside Nature Center, KPUB crews used a track-mounted bucket truck to access the outage and restore service in challenging terrain.
In another complex restoration, after a barge and crane involved in the ongoing Nimitz Lake recovery operation went over the dam and snagged the power lines that cross the river and serve the City of Kerrville’s water plant, KPUB crews worked to restore the damaged crossing.
With assistance from ASAP Roofing and Renovation, a drone was used to pull lines across the river crossing, helping crews complete the repair and restore service more efficiently.
“Every restoration effort presents unique challenges,” Wittler said. “Our crews stayed focused on finding safe solutions. Whether it was calling for mutual aid before sunrise, identifying an alternate route around a damaged bridge, using a track-mounted bucket truck to reach difficult terrain, or partnering with ASAP Roofing and Renovation to use a drone to pull lines across a river crossing, our goal remained the same: restore power safely and efficiently for our customers.”
While KPUB has responded to several significant weather events in recent years, including the Memorial Day weekend storms in 2020, Winter Storm Uri in 2021, and the July 4th 2025 flooding event, this response presented its own unique challenges.
Widespread flooding, damaged transportation infrastructure, inaccessible work sites, and damaged river crossings required crews to adapt quickly while maintaining a safe and coordinated restoration effort.
KPUB extended its appreciation to its mutual aid partners -- James Power Line Construction, Sendero Power Line Construction, Inc., and Townsend Tree Service -- along with ASAP Roofing and Renovation, emergency responders, local officials, the property owners who granted access to otherwise unreachable areas, and the dedicated KPUB employees who worked around the clock to restore service.
"Their partnership and commitment made it possible to safely restore power to the community," it said.
