Forecasts converge on freezing precipitation
and accumulation across Greater
Houston as National Weather Service upgrades advisory to a
Winter Storm Warning
Three staging sites set-up and approximately
1,200 additional mutual aid workers set to arrive tomorrow to
support potential restoration efforts
CenterPoint to activate its emergency
operations center Monday afternoon ahead of the projected start of
precipitation
CenterPoint urges customers and the public to
be weather alert and have a plan to stay safe and warm through
freezing temperatures and precipitation
HOUSTON, Jan. 19,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CenterPoint Energy
continues to execute its cold weather readiness plan and actively
monitor the weather for new developments. Weather forecasts
continue to converge on a major winter storm, now named Enzo,
impacting the Greater Houston area
beginning Monday evening, with wintry precipitation and significant
accumulation forecasted across the region this week.
The company has secured an additional 1,200 mutual aid workers
to support potential restoration efforts. CenterPoint's emergency
operations center will be activated Monday evening ahead of the
projected arrival of wintry precipitation and the company is
standing up three staging sites and pre-positioning crews across
its service territory to respond, if needed, as safely and as
quickly as possible.
CenterPoint's Emergency Preparedness and Response, Meteorology
and Operations teams will remain on alert throughout the Martin
Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend and continue to utilize in-house
and third-party weather modeling and historical data from previous
weather events to plan for all potential impacts to CenterPoint's
system.
In preparation for the mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain
anticipated to impact the region, the National Weather Service
has upgraded the Winter Storm Watch to a Winter Storm Warning for Southeast Texas beginning at 6 p.m. Monday through 6
p.m. Tuesday.
On Friday, ERCOT issued a Weather Watch from Monday to Wednesday
due to extreme cold weather across the ERCOT region, higher
electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves. At this
time, according to ERCOT, grid conditions are expected to be
normal, but CenterPoint teams remain ready to respond if that
should change.
"As our CenterPoint teams stand up these staging sites and begin
onboarding approximately 1,200 mutual assistance workers who've
answered the call to support potential restoration efforts, we
continue to diligently monitor the weather and our systems and
prepare for potential impact. We want our customers to be confident
in the numerous cold weather preparations CenterPoint has already
executed from our winter readiness plan and to know we have plans
in place to support their communities during this week's forecasted
severe weather. We also want to urge our customers to stay weather
alert, have an emergency plan in place and take steps now to
prepare, especially customers who rely on life-sustaining
equipment," said Darin Carroll,
Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's Electric Business.
Cold weather preparations
The company has a cold
weather readiness plan in place and has performed a series of
proactive pre-winter preparedness actions to strengthen and
winterize its infrastructure across Texas, including inspecting and testing
cold-weather critical equipment. In addition to securing an
additional 1,200 mutual aid resources to assist with restoration
efforts, additional call center resources have been secured in
anticipation of call volume rising and support platforms have been
load-tested to meet higher demand as customers seek information
during and after the storm. CenterPoint is also deploying cold
weather mitigations across its electric and natural gas
infrastructure, coordinating with relevant local emergency
responders and government officials and making plans to mobilize
emergency response resources.
Stay informed before, during and after the storm with
CenterPoint's Storm Center, Power Alert Service® and the
CenterPoint Texas X account
CenterPoint is encouraging all
customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during
Winter Storm Enzo. Customers can
read the latest news on CenterPoint's preparedness and response
efforts, view important safety tips and access the company's 2025
Winter Energy Guide by visiting
CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter.
While CenterPoint continues to provide information around this
weather event to its 2.8 million electric customers, including
those designated as critical care, the company also encourages all
electric customers to enroll in the company's Power Alert
Service® to receive winter storm outage details, estimated
restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates by
phone call, text or email.
Customers can also follow @CenterPoint_TX to receive the
most up-to-date information on the company's operations in the
Greater Houston area and across
Texas.
For the latest weather information for the Greater Houston area, see updates from the
National Weather Service Forecast Office in Houston/Galveston
at www.weather.gov/hgx.
Safety reminders
CenterPoint reminds customers to stay
safe during and after winter storms:
- Downed power lines: Stay at least 35 feet away from
downed power lines and report them to CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.
Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden and
treat all downed lines as if they are energized.
- Work crew safety: Be cautious around work crews and give
them plenty of room to safely assess damage and make repairs.
- Portable generators: Only use a portable generator in a
well-ventilated area and never run it inside or in a garage to
avoid carbon monoxide (CO) fumes, which can be deadly.
- Use space heaters safely: Make sure space heaters have
an automatic shut-off, and keep children, pets and all items at
least three feet away from it. A space heater that uses natural
gas, propane or wood should be vented to the outside. Stoves and
ovens should never be used for space heating.
- Electric system safety: Never connect a portable
electric generator directly to a building's electrical system
during a power outage; electricity could back-feed into the power
lines, potentially endangering CenterPoint workers.
- Preserving food during outages: Avoid opening freezers
and refrigerators during outages to preserve food.
- Natural gas safety: Natural gas is odorized with a
distinctive, strong odor, often compared to rotten eggs or sulfur.
If a natural gas odor is detected inside a home or building, leave
immediately on foot. Do not use electric switches, telephones
(including cell phones), or anything that could cause a spark. Once
in a safe location, call both CenterPoint Energy and 911. Do not
use email or the Internet to report the leak and never attempt to
repair a natural gas leak yourself—leave all repairs to trained
technicians. For leaks outside, leave the area on foot and move in
an upwind direction away from the leak or vapor cloud to a location
where the smell of gas is no longer present. Warn others to stay
away from the leak and abandon any equipment being used in or near
the area. Once in a safe location, call both CenterPoint and 911 to
report the leak.
- Know the signs of CO poisoning: Early symptoms such as
headache and fatigue are similar to the flu, but without a fever.
Continued CO exposure can lead to more severe headaches, dizziness,
nausea, difficulty thinking clearly and fainting. If everyone in a
household is experiencing these symptoms, it could be CO poisoning.
If symptoms suggest CO poisoning, leave the area immediately, get
fresh air and call 911.
- Gas meter maintenance: Remove large icicles hanging over
meter assemblies and appliance vents. Use a broom – not a shovel –
to clear snow from the meter. If the gas meter is encased in ice,
do not attempt to melt and/or chip the ice, as this could cause
damage to the meter. Allow the ice to melt on its own.
- Call before digging: Call 811 to locate utility lines
prior to digging on a property.
For more information,
contact
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com
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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy