HOUSTON – CenterPoint Energy says it is preparing to respond to potential power outages and weather-related impacts as heavy rain, thunderstorms and possible flooding move into the Greater Houston area this week.
According to the National Weather Service, the region could see between 2 and 5 inches of rain through midweek, with isolated areas receiving as much as 6 to 8 inches. Forecasters are also warning of thunderstorms, gusty winds and localized flooding through early Wednesday.
In response, CenterPoint said it is pre-staging crews, contractors and equipment across the area to support restoration efforts if outages occur.
“Our CenterPoint team is taking action to support our customers ahead of expected rain and storms, including continuing to monitor conditions and staging crews and equipment to restore power safely and as quickly as possible,” said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint’s vice president of special response and incident commander. “We encourage all of our customers across the Greater Houston area to prepare and stay safe in anticipation of quickly changing weather conditions.”
How CenterPoint is preparing
CenterPoint said its storm preparedness efforts include:
Pre-positioning frontline workers, contractors and equipment to support restoration efforts.
Monitoring weather conditions around the clock through its meteorology team.
Providing safety and preparedness information to customers through phone calls, emails, text messages and social media.
Coordinating with local officials and emergency management partners on response efforts.
Power Alert Service and outage tracking
CenterPoint is encouraging customers to enroll in its Power Alert Service to receive outage notifications, estimated restoration times and updates through phone calls, texts or email., and updates via phone calls, texts,
Customers can also monitor outages through CenterPoint’s online Outage Tracker, which provides outage and restoration information by county, city and ZIP code in both English and Spanish.
Safety tips for residents
CenterPoint urges residents to make emergency preparations before severe weather arrives, especially those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining medical equipment.
The company recommends having an emergency plan in place, monitoring weather forecasts and keeping devices charged in case of power outages.
Officials also remind drivers to avoid flooded roadways and follow guidance from local emergency management agencies as weather conditions change.
CenterPoint said it will continue monitoring conditions and adjust its response efforts as needed throughout the storm system.