Winter Storm Enzo poised to impact Gulf Coast and Greater Houston area; CenterPoint Energy crews and additional mutual aid workers mobilized and ready to respond

National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning to take effect Monday 6 pm as forecasts converge on freezing precipitation and accumulation across Greater Houston

Three staging sites set-up and approximately 1,200 additional mutual aid workers set to arrive today ahead of the storm to support potential restoration efforts

Company activating emergency operations center this afternoon ahead of the projected arrival of precipitation

CenterPoint urges customers to take public plea seriously to stay home Tuesday and avoid driving, be weather alert and have a plan to stay safe and warm through freezing temperatures

HOUSTON, Jan. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Winter Storm Enzo is poised to impact the Gulf Coast and the Greater Houston area with bitter cold temperatures and freezing precipitation tonight. To meet this winter weather challenge, CenterPoint Energy is activating its emergency operations center today along with three staging sites to be prepared to respond to any power outages that Winter Storm Enzo may bring. The company has been closely monitoring the winter storm since last week and over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. In the lead-up to the storm's arrival, CenterPoint has been executing its cold weather readiness plan. 

The company's three staging sites will host 1,200 additional mutual aid workers and help pre-position crews, vehicles, equipment and materiel needed for restoration across its service territory to be able to respond to service issues safely and as quickly as possible. CenterPoint crews and the nearly 1,200 mutual aid workers will address any weather impacts on the electric system.

CenterPoint's Emergency Preparedness and Response, Meteorology and Operations teams will remain on alert through the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday 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.

"Our CenterPoint teams are prepared and ready to respond to any impacts from Winter Storm Enzo. We're activating our emergency operations center, standing up three staging sites across the Greater Houston area and will be onboarding approximately 1,200 mutual assistance workers who are arriving today to support potential restoration efforts. Crews will be pre-positioned across our service territory before the precipitation starts this evening, and we will continue to diligently monitor the weather and our systems as we prepare for the storm's impact," said Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's Electric Business.

"We ask our customers and the public to take seriously the pleas from elected leaders and local officials to not travel on Tuesday. Weather conditions and roads are expected to be poor, and we want to keep our crews and our mutual aid partners safe while they are working to restore power or travelling to a location to do so. Additionally, we urge everyone to take steps and get prepared before the precipitation starts to keep themselves and their loved ones safe through the storm's impact. Customers should continue monitoring the forecasts, stay alert to changing weather conditions, follow guidance from local government and emergency officials and have an emergency plan in place, especially if they rely on life-sustaining equipment," said Carroll.

In preparation for the mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain anticipated to impact the region, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Southeast Texas beginning at 6 p.m. today through 6 p.m. tomorrow.

An Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Weather Watch is also in effect from today through 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.

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.   

For more information, contact
Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy