WEBSTER, Texas – An operator was briefly stuck on an excavator after hitting a power line and causing outages in the Webster area Tuesday morning.
Crews with the Houston Fire Department responded to reports of a downed power line in the 17400 block of Saturn Lane around 7:40 a.m.
Although crews said there were no injuries, the operator was stuck on the excavator until CenterPoint Energy crews were able to make it to the site and cut the power.
CanterPoint said power outages impacted 1,300 customers in the area, but most of the customers’ power was restored around 9 a.m.
Space Center Intermediate had to cancel class due to the power outages.
CenterPoint Energy sent the following statement:
CenterPoint Energy is committed to the safe, reliable delivery of electricity for all customers we are privileged to serve throughout the Greater Houston area.
This morning, a third-party contractor not affiliated with CenterPoint struck electric infrastructure near the 17400 block of Saturn Lane in Houston, causing an outage that impacted approximately 1,300 customers in the area. As of 9:00 AM, a majority of customers impacted have been restored.
CenterPoint crews are onsite and working closely with first responders and emergency services to safely secure the area and restore power as safely and as quickly as possible.
Safety is CenterPoint’s top priority, and we urge customers, contractors and workers to be mindful when working around electric infrastructure and stay at least 10 feet away from power lines and at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires.
We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to make the necessary repairs and restore power to those affected by this incident.