It’s officially hurricane season, and AEP Texas reminds customers that our crews stand ready to face the storm season. Through measured upgrades of our electrical facilities, the introduction of state-of-the-art technology to assist with restoration and successful hurricane practice drills, AEP Texas has spent the year preparing for one of the most important seasons of the year for the safety of our customers and to continue delivering reliable electric service.
Hurricane season extends from June 1 to November 30.
Substantial Investment in Facilities Maintenance
In March 2025, AEP Texas began the implementation of a three-year, $315 million resiliency plan that includes hardening our infrastructure and practicing targeted vegetation management in counties located in the AEP Texas service territory and along the Texas Gulf Coast. AEP Texas operates with the most coastal exposure of any other utility company in Texas.
Major components of the resiliency plan would help our facilities withstand hurricane conditions.
- Distribution Feeder Hardening: Rebuilding existing overhead lines to a more storm-resilient overhead design standard
- Lateral Hardening: Similar to distribution feeder hardening, except focused on laterals to enhance protection zones up to current resiliency standards.
- Crossing Upgrades: Undergrounding and hardening interstate and highway crossings to better withstand weather-based events.
- Resiliency Vegetation Trimming: Targeted vegetation management above normal trim activity utilizing satellite imaging and data analytics to better withstand weather-based events.
In 2025 alone, approximately 25,000 aging utility poles were replaced in the AEP Texas footprint. Some early construction that preceded the resiliency plan work withstood the severe weather that accompanied Hurricane Beryl in 2024.
Drones Improve Damage Assessment
AEP Texas employs state-of-the-art drones to improve the speed and accuracy of damage assessment after a storm. Drones like the Skydio X10 drone docking station at the Rachal Substation in Rachal, TX, allows the drone to be operated remotely from anywhere in the continental United States, including locations in Corpus Christi, Victoria, and Ohio. AEP Texas acquired a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver in 2025.
Drones can assess whether a fault on a line is due to a downed power line or a broken pole and help crews determine the resources and personnel needed for repairs. This assessment by drone can all happen in the time it would typically take an individual to reach a truck.
“This technology complements our existing activities like patrolling and inspecting, while also providing our pilots and crews with an additional resource that enhances efficiency and situational awareness in decision-making,” Ramirez said. “This is another technology solution developed by our Continuous Improvement Team to help our employees be more efficient and effective, ultimately delivering the best possible experience to our customers and stakeholders.”
Practice Improves Response Time
Earlier this year, more than 130 individuals, including private sector business partners and emergency management officials, joined AEP Texas for a tabletop hurricane drill that simulated a Category 3 hurricane. Over two days, the group responded to fictional scenarios that tested the resiliency of our storm response operations.
Using real data from a past hurricane, the group took a deep look into preparation strategies that will continue to put the customer first while accelerating restoration times and emphasizing safety.
AEP Texas employees also participated in a large-scale hurricane drill with hundreds of other individuals across different agencies that presented a mock scenario that impacted the AEP Texas Rio Grande Valley District, the Corpus Christi District and reached as far as Laredo District.
The six-month hurricane season remains unpredictable in nature. AEP Texas reminds all employees to prepare now for the season. Visit AEPTexas.com/Safety for hurricane safety tips and follow AEP Texas on social media for the latest outage and restoration information.
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