lightning strike – Lanes on I-10 in the San Antonio area near Seguin reopened after lightning struck an equipment power line. CPS Energy crews repaired the damage and traffic restrictions were lifted safely.
A lightning strike disrupted an equipment power line along Interstate 10 near Seguin, prompting a shutdown in both directions before lanes later reopened.
By about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Misryoum reports that lanes were back open after crews completed necessary repairs following the earlier closure. The disruption was focused on the 13,000 block of IH 10 near FM 1518 on the far Eastside of San Antonio.
The incident was first flagged in the late morning by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. which posted that the westbound and eastbound lanes would be shut down due to a downed power line.. That notice went out around 11 a.m.. when traffic patterns were already shifting for drivers in the area—an impact made sharper by the fact that storms were moving through overnight.
Misryoum understands that CPS Energy said the equipment supporting the power line was struck by lightning during the overnight storms.. Crews were dispatched to repair the damaged equipment. and law enforcement temporarily paused traffic for roughly 15 minutes to allow workers to complete the work safely.. The message from the utility emphasized a careful approach: even short maintenance windows can become risky when power infrastructure is involved.
Power problems didn’t end with the roadway closure.. Misryoum reports that CPS Energy had been dealing with outages linked to the same storm system. with outages and customer impacts reported through the day.. As of about 1:44 p.m., the utility reported power outages affecting roughly 171 customers due to active outages.
For drivers, the immediate concern was avoiding the affected stretch of I-10 and finding alternate routes.. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office advised motorists to steer clear of the area while repairs were underway.. CPS Energy later indicated that traffic would not be shut down again. but urged drivers to Move Over or Slow Down while crews remained on site—an instruction that matters for both safety and speed of response during roadside work.
Why a lightning strike can shut down a highway
That’s the practical reason drivers feel it so sharply: the roadway is often treated as a safety perimeter. even if the strike only affects a narrow section of power equipment.. Misryoum expects many residents to remember similar incidents because the combination—storm conditions plus power infrastructure—turns routine commuting into an unexpected detour.
Storm aftermath: power restoration continues in the background
The human impact is easy to overlook when attention is on the traffic headlines.. For households. outages can affect everything from refrigeration and charging devices to heating and cooling depending on the season and the length of interruptions.. For businesses, it can disrupt operations even if the outage count changes over time.
Safety-first coordination and what to expect next
Looking ahead. incidents like this also raise a broader question many communities face during storm seasons: how quickly systems can be assessed and restored. and how communication is delivered in real time.. The best outcomes tend to come when traffic control. utility crews. and public messaging move together—reducing the window of disruption while keeping workers and drivers safe.
For now. Misryoum reports that I-10 lanes in the affected San Antonio area near Seguin have reopened. with repairs completed for the immediate downed-line issue.. The remaining focus is the utility’s continued restoration work for any impacted customers and safe management of the roadside area until crews finish securing equipment.