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Windy weather issues: Tropical storm force wind gusts up to 60 mph cause major power outages
As many as 130,000 CenterPoint customers lost power Thursday afternoon as crews worked to keep up with the widespread outages around Houston.
HOUSTON — The wind knocked out power to tens of thousands of CenterPoint customers Thursday and the numbers keep climbing.
At 4 p.m. CenterPoint’s outage map showed nearly 130,000 homes and businesses were in the dark. Our studio on Westheimer was one of those customers. We were on backup generators part of the afternoon.
With stoplights out in some areas, rush hour may be slow-going for some drivers.
CenterPoint tweeted that crews are out making repairs to address the issue. The numbers are fluctuating as they work to keep up with the outages caused by high winds and tree limbs, the company said.
KHOU 11 Meteorologist Tim Pandajis said tropical storm force wind gusts of 61 mph were reported at Hobby Airport and a wind advisory is in effect until 7 p.m.
CenterPoint reminded residents stay at least 10 feet away from any downed power lines and report these issues to 713-207-2222.
You can report outages online here.
Click here to see the latest numbers.
Wind advisory until 7 p.m.
KHOU 11 Meteorologist Tim Pandajis said the Hobby Airport area reported the strongest winds at 51 mph just before 3 p.m.
He tell us the strongest winds will be reported between now and about 5 p.m. Good news is they’re expected to subside shortly after sunset although it is expected to be a breezy night.
A wind advisory has been issued in the Houston area until 7 p.m.
CenterPoint Energy statement:
“CenterPoint Energy continuously monitors weather conditions. Safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to the safe and reliable operation of our infrastructure. The company has robust plans in place designed to keep customers, employees and infrastructure safe during severe weather events.
High winds and tree limbs are impacting power lines and causing outages. As of 3:05 p.m., 96.38% of our customers in the Greater Houston area have power and our crews are working as safely and quickly as possible to restore service to those impacted.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is confirmed.