Winter Storm Updates

Like you, I am extremely frustrated with the lack of information, resources, and that electricity is not restored.  This is completely unacceptable, and the State needs to answer some major questions about why Texas was not prepared for this.  Although the power outages are not controlled by the City, I am going to continue demanding answers, resources, and road clearing.

Here are a few updates:

Electricity:
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has instructed companies to conserve electricity because there is a power capacity issue.  This is a statewide issue and not controlled by the City, County, or CenterPoint.

CenterPoint was able to get power back on to SOME of the people whose power remained off the longest.  To do so, others who had power were taken offline.  If you received power recently, please know that it might go off again as they work to conserve power.

If you have electricity, please do your best to conserve energy!

• Keep thermostat at 68 degrees
• Do not use large appliances
• Unplug unnecessary appliances

I received a lot of questions about the lights downtown.  CenterPoint is going to start taking some of those lights off, but they need to keep George R. Brown Convention Center (it’s a warming center) on as well as the hotels that are full.  Since it is a grid system, some of the lights on other buildings will remain on.

Water:
Water pressure is very low, but a boil water notice has not been issued at this time.

Medical Concerns:
Unfortunately CenterPoint cannot prioritize households with medical needs at this time.  If you need electricity for medical concerns, please call 3-1-1. There is a very long wait at this time.  If you have an emergency, please call 9-1-1.

Warming Centers:
The George R. Brown Convention Center is the warming center for the City at the moment, but more are opening soon.

Roads:
The roads are impassable at this time.  Please do not drive unless it is an emergency.  The roads need to open up immediately, and I will take every action possible to get them open in District A.

More Information:
Today at noon, Mayor Sylvester Turner will provide an update on the severe winter weather conditions currently affecting the Houston region. You can watch:
HTV Online
City of Houston Twitter

Sign Up for AlertHouston

Register for emergency alerts through email, text message, voice call, or mobile app push notification.  You may download the Everbridge app free of charge from the Apple or Andoid app store.  Most alerts are geo-targeted; subscribers with loved ones around the city may register up to five physical addresses per contact record.

Visit https://houstonemergency.org/alerts/ to sign up.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA):
Emergencies don’t care where you are – they can happen when you’re at work, school, at home, or on vacation. The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system was developed to help inform the public in a specific area of emergency situations that require them to take action quickly to avoid injury.
The City of Houston has access to WEA for very serious, life-threatening emergencies. Additionally, you may also receive notifications from Federal State Agencies, and neighboring local agencies.

The City of Houston may issue a WEA warning for:

• Terrorist Activity
• Citywide Weather Emergencies
• Evacuation Orders
• Shelter-in-Place Emergencies
• Other emergencies which require action to protect life

Your phone is likely already opted-in to receive WEA messages. If you’ve opted out, please make sure you opt-back in. These messages could save your life.