Across San Antonio, the severe weather knocked out electricity for more than 100,000 customers, including the Bexar County Jail, which is now operating on generators.
Here's what to know
Amid the broader citywide blackouts that left over 100,000 CPS Energy customers without electricity on Friday, August 28, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said there was still no estimate for when service would return, and officials had not identified which jail operations were affected, according to News 4 San Antonio on August 29.
Large fans were placed in the affected units, and inmates were provided containers of ice water to cope with the extreme heat without power.
More background
Power failures at a jail carry greater urgency than ordinary residential outages for obvious public-safety reasons. Facilities such as the Bexar County Jail rely on electricity for lighting, ventilation, communications, electronic security systems, and the daily operations that help keep staff and inmates safe.
Worsening extreme weather disasters endanger lives and livelihoods by disrupting the basic systems people depend on every day. When the power goes out during severe heat or storms, the risks can quickly escalate from household discomfort to public health threats, community safety concerns, and rising economic costs tied to emergency response, repairs, and lost productivity.
When the grid fails, hospitals, jails, schools, and homes can all be affected at once.
What can be done?
Public facilities can reduce risk with hardened backup systems, more efficient cooling strategies, fuel-secure generators, and battery storage to bridge gaps when the grid goes down.
Battery storage can be especially useful because it does more than provide emergency power. It can also help lower energy bills over time, make homes more self-sufficient, and give families a cleaner alternative to relying solely on gas-powered generators.
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For those in storm-prone areas, practical steps include keeping water on hand, charging devices before storms, signing up for utility alerts, and knowing where local cooling centers are located.
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