HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Thousands of Houston-area residents are still without power after severe storms with heavy winds rolled through on Tuesday.
An ABC13 Weather Alert Day was in effect on Tuesday amid a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for southeast Texas.
Winds reached up to 80 mph, knocking down trees and sparking more power outages. The storm also led to a lot of street flooding across the city.
According to CenterPoint Energy’s outage tracker, at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, more than 16,000 customers were still without power.
The energy company counted 2,050 active outages and 296,657 customers whose power was restored in the last 24 hours.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said 1,800 utility crews were making their way back to the Houston area after helping restore power outages from the May 16 derecho.
She is urging anyone with storm damage to apply for aid from FEMA, and if you already applied after the last storm, update your application if you suffered more damage.
CenterPoint Energy issued the following statement after the storm on Tuesday:
“CenterPoint Energy is currently assessing damage to its infrastructure following this afternoon’s severe thunderstorm that caused flooding and wind gusts of up to 75 mph – consistent with Category 1 hurricane winds – across the Houston area. Crews have begun efforts to restore power to affected customers as safely and quickly as possible.
Damage from the severe weather resulted in electric service interruptions peaking at approximately 325,000 customers. As of 8 p.m. CT, approximately 105,000 customers are without power. As damage assessments are completed and restoration continues, CenterPoint will provide additional updates.
CenterPoint recognizes that the Houston area is still recovering from the May 16 severe weather event, and some who were without power due to that storm might be out again because of today’s weather. In addition to CenterPoint resources that have already been deployed, additional lineworkers and vegetation management professionals have been requested for mutual assistance support.
Those customers who depend on electricity for life-sustaining equipment (such as chronic condition or critical care customers) are encouraged to have an emergency plan in place as CenterPoint cannot ensure an uninterrupted power supply. If electricity is a necessity, customers should make alternate arrangements for on-site back-up capabilities or other alternatives in the event of loss of electric service.
In addition to damaging CenterPoint’s electric infrastructure and equipment, severe weather may have caused damage to customer-owned equipment. Customers should check their Weatherhead, the point where power enters the home through an electric service drop, which is often a pipe located on the side of the residence or building. If the equipment is damaged, customers will need to contact a qualified electrician to make repairs before the company is able to restore service to them.
CenterPoint urges customers to always stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and damaged electric utility equipment. Treat all down and damaged equipment as energized and report them to the company at 713-207-2222.
During the May 16 storm, CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker online map experienced technical challenges which limited the performance for customers. Until the tool is restored, customers are encouraged to utilize Power Alert Service for outage information.”
Anyone can visit a city library, community center, or multi-service center during normal business hours to find relief from the heat, charge their devices, and rest. The schedules for these facilities can be found at the following links:
- Houston Public Library
- Houston Parks & Recreation Department Community Centers
- Houston Health Department Multi-Service Centers
There are also still Disaster Recovery Centers open for anyone needing assistance after the recent derecho that caused widespread damage. The locations are:
- Spring Branch Family Development Center – 8575 Pitner Rd.
- Fonde Recreation Community Center – 110 Sabine St.
- Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center – 16600 Pine Forest Ln.
- Leon Z Grayson Community Center – 13828 Corpus Christi St.
