DUNCAN — Progress is being made to restore electricity to Duncan residents. But the process is slower than the City of Duncan initially expected.

On Tuesday morning, David Yeager, Duncan Power director, estimated about 65 percent of power was restored to the Duncan Power customers.

Yeager said 59 Duncan Power crew members are working to get electricity to all customers. He said the goal for the City of Duncan is to have power to everyone by Friday night.

“We have more people coming in (today),” Yeager said, “and the tree trimmers are really going at it so we can get into other areas and work.”

In a press release issued by Judy Jones with the City of Duncan, some precautions were given to Duncan Power customers to help crews restore electricity to people throughout the service area.

The city is requesting that people do not stop any power line or tree crews because that will slow down the power restoration process.

“These crews are working as fast as possible and the more they are stopped, the longer it is going to take to restore power,” the release stated. Residents should call 580-252-0250 for updates.

It was noted that power restoration efforts immediately took place the moment that power went out and crews worked non-stop around the clock from Thursday afternoon until 2 a.m. Monday.

Monday, crews went into a 12-hour work day schedule, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. because outside power crews began to mix in with Duncan Power crews. The reason is because Duncan has a “very unique power system” according to Yeager.

“We have three different power systems running throughout the city, and it’s very confusing to outside power companies,” Yeager said.

This requires that all Duncan Power employees be with an outside power crew to help direct where work gets done, and what needs to be done without crossing wires and causing a bigger problem. They will continue to do this until power is restored to all residents and businesses in Duncan.

“And if we happen to lose power again in some area, we’ll continue to work 12-hour shifts until we’ve got everyone back with power,” Yeager said.

He addressed angry customers that complained of some areas of town having power before others by saying that Duncan Power has a plan in place and they are sticking to it.

“We have a set of priorities that we follow,” Yeager said addressing concerns of angry customers. “The other power companies don’t operate the water pumps, the sewage pumps, hospitals, fire and police stations and other necessities that people need. Duncan Power does. They were our first priority for power restoration before anything else... and if (they) went off while we were working other places, they became priority again.”

Yeager said that the initial priority was to provide basic city services before anything else. Vice Mayor Rickey Mayes said that Duncan was lucky and that the city could be facing water issues much like what Lawton is currently experiencing.

“It’s because of that priority list that we were able to keep water available,” Yeager said. “We’re working for the greater good.”

One issue that the city power crews continue to battle are heavy tree limbs still up in the trees that either haven’t fully broken off yet or haven’t fallen to the ground. Those limbs are still falling onto power lines.

Yeager said one of the biggest problems Duncan Power has been dealing with is having lines that had been restored being knocked down by these “hangers.”

The power crews are also battling to get access in some areas with so many downed limbs blocking the way to areas still without power.

“The tree trimmers have to get in and cut it out before we can work on anything in some places,” Yeager said. “If we went in and fixed something without clearing those limbs, then when we move on, one would fall and everything we did would go out behind us.”

The city’s official tree trimming crews are directing efforts in clearing lines ahead of the electric crews, according to the press release.

Yeager said that power crews are working in Dixon Park from State Highway 7 to Martin Luther King Drive and from the railroad tracks to Second Street. Also they are working in Clampet Oaks and North of Hillcrest Park.

“There are parts of the northeast part of town that we still haven’t gotten to yet,” Yeager said, “mostly due to trees still in the way or laying on lines.”

Yeager said they have to inspect every inch of the electrical system in Duncan to make sure lines are clear and there is no danger in turning it on.

He also said that some customers that have had power restored have seen sudden, short, power outages that were due to fuses being pulled to test lines in nearby neighborhoods.

“It may be an inconvenience to these people who have had power for 18 hours,” Yeager said, “but for these people who haven’t gotten power back yet it may be their best chance of getting it back faster if we turn it off for those other people for a while.”