CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, (July 18, 2005) – As tropical weather threatens the South Texas coastline, residents on life support systems are reminded to make arrangements now in case of a prolonged power outage.
 
AEP Texas delivers electric power on the coast from Port Isabel to Matagorda, Texas. These areas are the most susceptible to power outages caused by violent tropical weather.
 
“We understand the special needs of customers who are on life support systems or who need uninterrupted electric service for health reasons,” said David Hooper, AEP Texas director of customer services. “However, we have no control over what Mother Nature will decide to do during the course of a storm.”
 
Hooper advises customers with special needs to make arrangements to evacuate well in advance of an approaching storm to avoid power interruption.
 
“Once a storm passes and our restoration efforts begin, we will make every effort to get the lights back on as soon as possible,” said Hooper. “We will communicate through the media, our website and call center about restoration progress.”
 
AEP Texas, a unit of American Electric Power, delivers electricity to some 850,000 homes, businesses and industries in south and west Texas. AEP Texas provides regulated energy delivery service to consumers, regardless of which Retail Electric Provider they choose. The company is headquartered in Corpus Christi.