CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Nearly 500 AEP customers in Corpus Christi's Molina neighborhood lost power after Wednesday's severe storms, with residents expressing concern about the Texas heat and spoiled food.
Severe storms swept through Corpus Christi's Westside on Wednesday, leaving nearly 500 customers in the Molina neighborhood without power for more than 24 hours.
The AEP outage map showed the status for the area still listed as "assessing," leaving residents with no clear timeline for restoration.
Tony, a Westside resident who asked that his last name not be used, said his house remained completely dark — with no air conditioning and more storms expected next week. His biggest concern, he said, was for his most vulnerable neighbors.
"I think about the elders. They're the ones that really need the power. They need the AC."
Tony said he and I looked through the AEP outage map together, and he said he knew power would not be restored overnight — despite what the map had indicated — because of the visible damage in the neighborhood.
"I knew that wasn't gonna happen because I was still looking at a pole that was laying down."
As hours turned into days, Tony said he also grew worried about his food supply.
"I hope they get it done soon because I don't want anything to spoil."
With residents unable to cook or cool off, I reached out to AEP directly about restoration efforts. Griselda Calzada, AEP External Affairs Manager, said crews were close to restoring service.
"We should have most of Molina up in the next 20-35 minutes."
Calzada said crews are also tracking which neighborhoods were hit hardest, with an eye toward protecting those same customers when the next round of storms moves through.
"For when the next storm hits, those customers aren't out again."
AEP said they plan to restore power to the Molina neighborhood by Thursday evening.
Many residents say the hardest part has been dealing with the South Texas heat and not knowing when the outage will finally end.
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