Severe storms leave areas of Winnsboro without power, water

Severe storms on June 16 have left many areas of Winnsboro without electricity or running water.

In the early morning hours of June 16, a storm with up to 70 mph winds struck the southeastern parts of Hopkins County and northwest parts of Franklin and Wood counties. 

Winnsboro residents reported being without power beginning the evening of June 15, and some are still without electricity as of June 20. 

For approximately 24 hours from June 18 to 19, the entirety of downtown Winnsboro was without power. 

The Wood County Electric Cooperative showed an outage map during the storms as reaching from just south of Sulphur Springs to Tyler.  As many as 9000 were without power on June 16 and 17, according to the cooperative. Area power companies continue to make progress in clearing outages. 

Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) reported calling in resources from Ohio, Texas, Appalachian Power, Indiana & Michigan Power, and Kentucky Power to provide additional support to restore the electric grid. SWEPCO reports that communities across East Texas as well as northwestern Louisiana and southeastern Arkansas were affected by the June 16 storms. 

In addition, many residents continue to report damage from the June 16 storm. This includes downed trees as well as damage to homes and businesses. Several businesses in Winnsboro’s downtown area were damaged as well, residents report. 

Many in Winnsboro find themselves without running water. The city of Winnsboro enacted a stage 3 water emergency on June 17. 

The National Weather Service has also issued an excessive heat warning for the area as of June 20.

With temperatures at approximately 88 degrees with 72 percent humidity according to the National Weather Service, many Winnsboro-area residents voiced concerns about heat-related illness. 

CHRISTUS Mother Frances-Winnsboro has set up a cooling station in their parking lot with bottled water, and the Winnsboro volunteer fire department has free bottled water while supplies last. 

Winnsboro-area residents are coming together on social media to offer each other a helping hand. Hope Family Fellowship, Sulphur Springs’ McDonalds, Tri-County Feed and Brookshires are among countless businesses that have offered resources or aid. 

“I’m so proud of how people are pulling together and helping each other during these difficult times,” said resident Daisy Jones Lemons on social media. “I moved back home to Winnsboro after 52 years of living in Tyler… I’m glad to be back home, we are so blessed to be alive and have a caring community.”