TEXAS, USA — Four days after a storm tore powerlines down across the area, there are still more than 42,000 East Texans without power.
According to SWEPCO, the storms this past weekend caused the most widespread power outages they’ve seen in decades.
Business owners in Kilgore say this is the worst power outage they’ve experienced, which has set them back thousands of dollars.
Owner of Circle Café and Edgar's Big Taco Verenice Ordorica said she’s had to throw away pounds of food at both of her restaurants.
"$10,000 here, plus another $10,000 just going down the drain if you don't take care of your products," Ordorica said.
To stay in business, Ordorica had to open with no lights.
"We have a gas stove, and I have generators. I have two food trucks. And so we've been doing to go orders today," Ordorica said.
Another business that continued to serve customers, despite losing electricity is the Mercantile and Music. Co-owner Vivian Gebhardt said they had to close Friday until they were able to borrow a generator.
"Financially, we did lose some money," Gebhardt said.
External affairs manager for SWEPCO Mark Robinson said linemen have come from all over the nation, working 16 hours a day to restore power as soon as possible.
"It may still be Friday before we get to them. But the vast majority of people will start seeing their lights coming on incrementally over the next few days," Robinson said.
And with this extreme heat, Robinson said we have to take care of each other and stay hydrated. However, Robinson said the support the linemen have received in East Texas has not gone unnoticed.
"While we are busy putting on the electricity there, our community has just rallied around the effort and they're doing their part as well," Robinson said.
Ordorica said locals depend on them for their daily meals, so they will continue to serve the community in whatever capacity they can.