Power Outage & Electrical Emergency: Houston Storm Response

Power Outage: Is It Just Your House?

When your power goes out, determine if it's a neighborhood outage or just your home.

Check your breaker panel immediately
- Locate your electrical panel (usually garage, utility closet, or exterior)
- Look for any breakers that have switched to the "OFF" or middle position
- If you find one, switch it firmly back to "ON"
- If it immediately flips off again, do not try again—call an electrician
Check if neighbors have power
- Look for lights in surrounding homes
- Ask neighbors if their power is out
Check for a grid outage
- Visit CenterPoint Energy's outage map at centerpointenergy.com/outage
- Enter your zip code to see if there's a reported outage in your area
- The map shows estimated restoration time
- If there's an outage, don't call—CenterPoint is already working on it
Report the outage if it's only your home
- Call CenterPoint at 713-207-2700
- Have your account number ready
- Describe if the outage is affecting just your home or multiple homes

Safety During Power Loss

Do NOT:

Use your oven or stove to heat your home
Use a charcoal grill or camping stove indoors (risk of carbon monoxide poisoning)
Light candles if you smell natural gas (open a window and call 911 instead)
Use your car's exhaust to warm your home or charge devices

Do:

Use flashlights instead of candles when possible
Keep candles away from curtains, furniture, and anything flammable
Dress warmly if it's winter—layer clothing
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed (food stays cold for 24-48 hours if unopened)
Move to a cooler location if it's summer and you don't have AC

Generator Safety: Carbon Monoxide Awareness

If you're using a generator:

CRITICAL: Generators produce deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas. Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, basement, or enclosed space. Place it at least 20 feet away from windows, doors, and vents.

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning: Headache, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, confusion, nausea. If you suspect CO poisoning, leave the area immediately, go outside to fresh air, and call 911.

Electrical Emergency: Warning Signs

Flickering lights can mean:

Loose connection at your service panel (call an electrician)
Loose connection with the utility (call CenterPoint)
Overloaded circuit (turn off some devices)

Burning electrical smell or sparking outlets:

Turn off power to that circuit immediately
Do not touch the outlet or plug anything else in
Call an electrician—do not wait

Warm or hot electrical panels or outlets:

This indicates an electrical fire hazard
Turn off power to the area if you can safely do so
Call an electrician immediately

Frequently tripping breakers:

One outlet tripping = overloaded circuit (reduce usage)
Multiple breakers tripping = serious electrical issue (call electrician)
Main breaker tripping = potential short circuit (call electrician immediately)

Houston-Specific Storm Preparation

Houston hurricane season (June-November) brings frequent power outages. Older homes in the Heights, Montrose, and East End neighborhoods may have aging electrical infrastructure vulnerable to outages.

Prepare now:

Keep flashlights and extra batteries accessible
Store non-perishable food and drinking water
Have phone chargers that don't require electricity (solar or hand-crank)
Know where your main breaker is located
Have CenterPoint's phone number saved: 713-207-2700

When to Call a Pro

Call an electrician immediately if:

A breaker keeps tripping after you reset it
You smell burning plastic or see sparks from outlets
Your electrical panel is warm or hot
Lights are frequently flickering
You suspect an electrical fire

Call CenterPoint (not an electrician) if:

Your entire neighborhood is without power
You see downed power lines (call 911 if lines are on the ground)
You notice the utility lines are damaged
The outage originated during a storm

Don't wait—electrical emergencies can cause house fires. When in doubt, call a professional.