Severe weather hits East Texas

TYLER- Just when you thought the fireworks were over, mother nature chimed in Sunday with some of her own.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday the skies went from overcast to black almost in an instant. Heavy rains flooded the streets and many street lights and buildings lost power for some time.

Several East Texans eating out found themselves in the dark.

"We were eating at Jason's Deli when all of a sudden this big flash of light happens and we look again and this huge transformer just exploded," Jamey Whitley of Tyler said.

"I've never been in a restaurant when the lights went out before," Whitley said. "All of the coke machines had no power, no ice, nothing!"

Just thirty minutes later the rain stopped and the clouds opened up.

Though it may have been a bit inconvenient for those who got caught driving in the storm, this rain was much appreciated for the dry ground.

Not only did several restaurant loose power, several grocery stores in the area also lost power for a brief period.

According to SWEPCO officials, about 100 customers in Gregg County were still without power Sunday night. TXU Energy officials told us about 700 of their customers in the Tyler area still don't have power. Both companies told us they hope to have all power restored by early Monday morning.