With Utilities Shortage Occurring, Some Seek Shelter Away From Home

El Paso Water Utilities on Friday morning recommended its customers boil water before drinking it after water outages and low pressure throughout the city.

The boil alert is just the latest obstacle El Pasoans have had to deal with since a winter snowstorm hit the Sun City earlier in the week.

On Thursday night, thousands were dealing with water line breaks, rolling blackouts and limited natural gas services.

Emergency management officials are pleading that each and every one of us keeps our energy usage down or it could get worse.

El Paso Electric’s generators were still down Thursday night at both of its power plants, and the shortage in utilities forced many to seek warmth away from home. The generators went down Wednesday morning and rolling blackouts started that day. Rolling blackouts continued Thursday evening and resumed at 6:30 a.m. Friday.

“It was cold last winter, but this right here – wooo,” exclaimed Lajuano Brown.

She is homeless but was keeping warm at the Convention Center.

Red Cross officials said they’ve helped more than 200 at the emergency shelter and expected to see more as they freezing temperatures continue.

The office of emergency management is asking residents and businesses to limit their energy use, or the entire system will crash.

“If we don’t work together, if we don’t all sacrifice together, then everyone will face significantly greater challenges. If we think we’re in a crisis now, we would be in a more significant crisis later,” said El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar.

“The driving force behind the dilemma we have right now is the adequate provision of energy, based on the demand,” City Manager Joyce Wilson said.

Officials blame the high demand on the record-low temperatures.

But at the Convention Center, Brown is able to see the positive side of having to go to the emergency shelter — finding comfort and compassion from volunteers.

“They might be a total stranger, but that idea of them just like hearing you and after a while – I mean – that meant more to me than even just not being in the cold,” Brown said. “That’s going to ride me through the whole winter, til the sun comes out and starts shining.”

The emergency shelter downtown will stay open through Thursday night. The ones in far east El Paso and Fabens are closed.

Officials ask all businesses to open late, close early or not open at all, if possible, on Friday.

All county offices, except the Sheriff’s Office headquarters will remain closed.

All non-essential city offices will remain closed, except for City Hall, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for limited services.

Dona Ana County and Las Cruces city offices will also be closed on Friday.