centerpoint energy: preparing for hurricane season
TRANSCRIPT
2015 Hurricane Workshop:
June 6, 2015
Preparing for Hurricane Season Dominic Robinson
Service Area Director, Sugar Land/Fort Bend
CenterPoint Energy
CenterPoint Energy a delivery company only
Houston Facts l Serves 2.3 million electric
customers l 5,000 square-mile electric
service territory l Owns and maintains electric
delivery system – poles and wires
l Serves 1+ million natural gas customers in Houston area
About CenterPoint Energy
l CenterPoint Energy is responsible for restoring service no matter from which company you buy electricity.
l We are the only company that can restore service during power outages; our trained crews will work day and night to get you up and running after a storm.
l We are preparing for outages before they happen by investing in technology to more quickly and accurately pinpoint problems.
? How can you prepare for an approaching hurricane and its
aftermath?
Pre-storm Make a plan!
Electric l Unplug sensitive electrical appliances and turn off
electricity at the circuit breaker if flooding is expected. l If someone depends on electricity for life-sustaining
equipment, you need to make alternative arrangements for them in advance.
Natural Gas l Do NOT turn off natural gas at the meter. If you choose to
discontinue natural gas service, turn off gas at each appliance.
? How long should you prepare to be without power after a
hurricane?
Hurricane Outage Preparation Guide
Hurricane Classification Wind speed Prepare for outage of*
Category 1 winds 74-95 mph 7 to 10 days
Category 2 winds 96-110 mph 2 to 3 weeks
Category 3 winds 111-130 mph 3 to 5 weeks
Category 4 winds 131-155 mph 4 to 6 weeks
Category 5 winds 156 mph and up 6 to 8 weeks
*Restoration times for particular locations will vary.
? How will CenterPoint Energy communicate outages and restoration with the public?
CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter • Year-round info
§ How we restore power § Safety and preparation tips § Recovery resources § FAQs § Link to Outage Tracker § Links to weather services
• In a hurricane § URL tied to hurricane name § Year-round info § News § Photos and videos
Outage Tracker
Outage Tracker Major storm mode
Outage Tracker Major storm mode
Power Alert Service
l Power-Off / Power-Restored Notifications – Email, text, and/or phone call
l Mass messaging for pre-storm alerts
l Will be used for individual outages late in restoration process
l CenterPointEnergy.com/PowerAlertService
CenterPoint Energy Social Media Twitter @CNPalerts, Facebook
? The storm is over. What should you do to stay safe and prepare for
power restoration?
Post-storm Electric l Listen for our advisories and call us to report outages when we ask.
– Immediately after the storm our system will tell us major circuits out. – We will assess conditions and identify outages.
l Always call us to report a downed power line or other electric emergencies. – Always stay away from power lines! – Stay away from standing water; energized power lines could be submerged. – Treat all downed lines as if they are energized.
Natural Gas l If you smell gas, leave the area immediately and then call 911 and CenterPoint
Energy. l DO NOT attempt to turn natural gas on or off. l Call 811 to locate utility lines before digging while conducting clean-up
Connect with us online
Websites: l CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter l CenterPointEnergy.com/OutageTracker l CenterPointEnergy.com/PowerAlertService
Social media: l Twitter.com/CNPalerts l Facebook.com/CenterPointEnergy l Youtube.com/CenterPointEnergyVid l Youtube.com/HOUHurricaneWorkshop
2015 Hurricane Workshop:
June 6, 2015
Preparing for Hurricane Season Dominic Robinson
Service Area Director, Sugar Land/Fort Bend
CenterPoint Energy