PAPALOTE, TEXAS — Powerful storms swept across the Coastal Bend region early Wednesday morning, causing floodwaters and power outages in Papalote, Texas. San Pat Electric Cooperative crews attempting to reach an outage area found the road impassable due to rising water.

Papalote resident Tiele Dockens called the cooperative and learned linemen could not reach her home. "I didn't want to be stuck out here. My neighbors didn’t wanna be stuck out here with no power," Dockens said. She added, "I called in and got one of them on the phone. He was trying to get over to me but it too quickly." After learning the crew was trying to reach her but couldn't cross the flooded roadway quickly enough, she offered an alternative: "But then I was like, ‘I have some paddleboards.’"

Dockens recruited neighbor Kayten White to help transport two linemen—crew foreman Joe Cruz and apprentice lineman Brenden Walton—and their equipment across a flooded creek using paddleboards. "They were willing to meet me down at the creek and be brave and paddle board across. I drove them to the site where it needed to be fixed, and they got it fixed in like 5 minutes! And then I drove them back and they went on to help some other people! It was a pretty exciting day and it was fun to see them in action and help everybody out," Dockens said.

Brittany Williams, public relations manager for the San Patricio County Electric Cooperative, confirmed crews had surveyed the area and determined they could not safely access it by truck. "We couldn't get any big equipment, the water was already flowing over the creek! So, we were very grateful that they were able to use their boats [paddleboards] to paddle out and restore their outage," Williams said. She added, "Otherwise we couldn’t have gotten in there until tomorrow (Thursday)." She also noted, "As a nonprofit electric co-operative, we are owned by the people that we serve. That’s just a really good feeling especially for those guys who are out in these terrible elements working to restore power."