Crews race to restore power across Texas ahead of another round of storms

DALLAS (AP) — Crews trying to restore power across storm-battered Texas were contending with downed trees and tangled limbs on Thursday, along with a forecast that could bring more damaging winds and hail.

Electricity was back on for about 80% of the more than 1 million homes and businesses that lost power after storms on Tuesday tore off roofs and uprooted trees from Dallas to Houston. One person was killed when a house under construction collapsed.

Utility Oncor said repair crews from eight states were working 16-hour shifts to restore power, but trees and debris were making it difficult to access damaged areas. It expects power in the Dallas area to be restored by Friday for most customers, although some outages will continue into the weekend.

The potential for heavy rains, flash flooding and severe weather was forecast through Thursday and into Friday.

The ongoing power outages following storms in north Texas prompted the Garland Independent School District in suburban Dallas to cancel classes for the remainder of the year.

“The challenges posed by the recent weather have made it impractical for campuses to continue with school,” the district said. Graduation ceremonies for its eight high schools will go on as planned.

For more information on recent tornado reports, see The Associated Press Tornado Tracker.