Live Updates: Houston Faces Widespread Power Outages—Restoration Timeline, Impacted Neighborhoods & Safety Tips

UPDATED OUTAGE NUMBERS AND AREAS HARDEST HIT Before daybreak Tuesday, severe thunderstorms pushed across the Gulf Coast and knocked out electricity to more than 180,000 Houston-area customers, according to CenterPoint Energy and Entergy. As of 3:20 a.m. CDT, CenterPoint still listed 120,259 customers offline while Entergy reported 31,175 without service. The highest concentrations of outages are on the northwest side inside Beltway 8, the Energy Corridor, parts of Katy, and sections of Pasadena and Deer Park. WHY THE LIGHTS WENT OUT • A fast-moving squall line produced 60 mph wind gusts that toppled trees and power poles. • Cloud-to-ground lightning triggered automatic shut-offs at multiple substations. • Saturated soil from weekend rains made it easier for shallow-rooted oaks to fall on distribution lines. WHEN WILL POWER BE RESTORED IN HOUSTON? CenterPoint’s live outage map is currently giving estimated restoration windows between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. for most urban circuits; isolated pockets along FM 1960 and in Montgomery County could linger into tonight. Entergy says full restoration may stretch “24 to 36 hours” in Chambers and Liberty counties where crews must replace broken cross-arms. HOW TO CHECK YOUR ADDRESS 1. Visit CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker and enter your street number and ZIP code. 2. View Entergy’s Texas outage map for status updates east of Houston. 3. Sign up for text alerts by texting “REG” to CENTER (236837) if you’re a CenterPoint customer. SAFETY TIPS DURING THE POWER OUTAGE • Treat every downed wire as energized; call 713-207-2222 to report hazards. • Keep fridge and freezer doors closed—food stays safe about 4 hours (fridge) and 48 hours (freezer). • Turn off A/C and sensitive electronics; when service returns, restore one breaker at a time to avoid a surge. • If you rely on medical devices, relocate to a cooling center or hospital with backup generation. WEATHER OUTLOOK: MORE STORMS POSSIBLE The National Weather Service keeps a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect until 5 a.m. Tuesday for Harris and surrounding counties, with additional rounds of heavy rain expected Wednesday. Highs will climb back near 90 °F this afternoon with a heat index around 97 °F, elevating the risk of heat-related illness for residents still without air-conditioning. WHAT UTILITY CREWS ARE DOING CenterPoint says more than 1,800 lineworkers and contract crews are rotating 16-hour shifts, focusing first on circuits that serve hospitals, water treatment plants, and traffic lights. Drone inspections are speeding up damage assessments in dense bayou corridors where bucket trucks can’t access. TIPS TO STAY INFORMED • Follow @CNPalerts and @EntergyTX on X/Twitter for restoration tweets. • Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for lightning warnings before heading outside. • Bookmark key search phrases like “Houston power outage map live” and “Is CenterPoint down in Houston” for quick updates. INSURANCE AND CLAIMS Document spoiled food, hotel receipts, and electronics damaged by power surges. Many homeowner policies cover refrigerated perishables up to $500; check your deductible before filing. CenterPoint’s claims portal opens once the company confirms equipment failures rather than weather as the root cause. HELP NEIGHBORS, CHECK THE ELDERLY Finally, if your lights are back, consider charging a neighbor’s phone or bringing ice to vulnerable seniors. Community cooling centers—including Alief Community Center, Finnigan Park Community Center, and METRO Transit Centers—are open with generators and bottled water until grid stability returns. Stay tuned to local outlets and keep your devices charged; restoration is underway, but scattered “pocket outages” may persist.