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Powering back up: External factors can add to outage time, says TEP

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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — During monsoon, power outages are more frequent. This monsoon, many in the Tucson metro area have been seeing downed poles and outages after violent storms.

Tucson Electric Power said there are many factors contributing to how long it may take to repair a downed power pole.

That includes general travel distance for repair crews, plus the time they may have to wait for first responders to secure an area, or for debris to be cleared.

Geoff Greif has lived in his Tucson home for 30 years. He said he's experienced his fair share of outages, with one cutting his power Wednesday night.

But Greif said he’s happy with the TEP's efforts.

“We’ve never had anything go bad in the fridge, to give you something to measure it by. They’re generally pretty quick to respond...They’re there when we need them.”

TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said they are constantly watching the weather, with teams at the ready 24/7.

Staff also monitor their energy grid for immediate outage alerts.

“But not all of our grid is designed that way," Barrios said, adding "we still count on customers to call and let us know when an outage is affecting their service.”

TEP said although outages could last several hours, crews will work nonstop until the lights are back on.