A large number of downed tree branches, snapped by the weight of accumulating ice, littered streets in Central Texas this week, often taking down power lines during their fall. “Trees are the No. 1 cause of outages when you have ice storms.”
Joe Rendon, a worker with Medxcel, cuts off a broken tree limb near Ascension Seton Medical Center on Thursday after an ice storm caused power outages across Austin., The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
“The amount of weight that has accumulated on the vegetation is probably historic, extreme,” Austin Energy general manager Jackie Sargent said during a Thursday press conference. Proper pruning and maintenance of trees in the paths of power lines are the responsibility of Austin Energy, the city’s electric utility that is overseen by the Austin City Council. But city officials said residents are responsible for trimming trees that are not in utility easements but are close enough to power lines to fall on them during storms. Tree pruning can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Sargent said during a press conference that the utility would discuss city regulations that prevent better pruning with local leaders.
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