It's been a rough week for Houstonians who've been sweating it out without power, but things are looking up. According to a statement by CenterPoint Energy released to the Houston Chronicle, 97% of the 890,000 customers hit by last week's derecho storm are now back on the grid. As the lights flicker back to life across the region, fewer than 30,000 customers are still waiting for service restoration as of Thursday morning.
The resilient teams at CenterPoint have been putting in around-the-clock work to repair the damage. "We believe it is a privilege to serve our customers and communities. That is why we are so committed to working around-the-clock to get the lights and air conditioning back on for customers who have had to endure six difficult days without power, and we will not stop until every last customer is restored." Lynnae Wilson, CenterPoint's senior vice president of electric business, relayed through both the Houston Chronicle and a company update. But it's not just the aftermath of the storm that's keeping crews busy; around 5,000 outages reported in the past 24 hours sprung up from unrelated issues.
CenterPoint's interactive map highlights the pockets still without power, including northwest Houston and areas near Waller. Per updates provided to local news outlet KIAH, the company expects to have power restored to those customers by this weekend. And the company advises homeowners to check their weather-heads for damage but to steer clear of making any DIY fixes and instead call in a pro.
As Houstonians await the return of air-con and light, CenterPoint is reminding residents to exercise caution and to leave the heavy lifting to the experts. "If it was damaged, do not touch it. You need to call a professional electrician to fix it, before you get power back, even if CenterPoint restored service in your area." warns CenterPoint regarding potentially damaged weather-heads. They underscore the importance of enlisting a professional electrician to ensure repairs are safely conducted and your home ready to receive power once again, even if the wider area's power has been restored.
