Power Outages Disrupt Austin and San Marcos, Texas
By Tara Brolley
January 23, 2026
Thousands of Austin Energy customers are facing a challenging morning as widespread power outages have been reported across Central Texas. At 9:41 a.m., Austin Energy confirmed that 7,071 customers were without power, primarily in the south and southeast areas of Austin.
The cause of these outages, according to CBS Austin Meteorologist Avery Tomasco, is a unique and unexpected phenomenon. Recent drought conditions have led to a significant buildup of dust and pollen on power line insulators. When combined with the light drizzle and mist that occurred on Friday morning, these insulators became electrically conductive, resulting in electrical shorts and fires.
Tomasco emphasized that these incidents are not related to winter storms, but rather to the specific environmental conditions. He stated, 'This is NOT a winter storm-related issue. Power pole fires are the primary cause.'
The situation is particularly dire in San Marcos, where multiple electric pole fires near State Highway 123 between Rattler Road and Wonder World Drive have left thousands without power. The San Marcos Police Department reported that the fires started around 4:15 a.m. on Friday, and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative initially estimated over 2,500 outages in the area.
This crisis highlights the vulnerability of power infrastructure to specific environmental factors. As the situation unfolds, residents and authorities are working to restore power and address the underlying causes of these outages.
