07/08/2024

Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

Impacts from Hurricane Beryl cause more than 200,000 power outages

Heavy rain, strong winds and lightning from Hurricane Beryl continue to impact the Entergy Texas service area. As of 12 p.m., approximately 201,000 Entergy Texas customers are without power. The majority of the power outages are located in Montgomery, Jefferson, Walker and Liberty counties. More than 6,100 are without power in Galveston County, which includes the entire Bolivar Peninsula.

Weather conditions from the storm has caused damage to Entergy Texas transmission equipment, which caused 17 substations to lose power. Once the storm passes and it’s safe to do so, Entergy Texas crews will begin the official damage assessment throughout the company’s 27-county service area and determine the most effective way to restore power to communities.

More than 500 additional restoration workers are on standby and prepared to assist Entergy Texas crews with restoration. Estimated restoration times will depend on the severity of damage in the area.

Restoration process:

When crews build their restoration plans , they start at the source. Entergy Texas generation plants are critical to providing power to our customers. Next, crews ensure that our high voltage transmission lines are able to safely deliver power to our substations. Power is then fed onto our low voltage lines that deliver power to homes and businesses. Once power is flowing back into an area, restorations occur in this order:

• Emergency services, life support facilities and communications networks (police, hospital, fire stations, media, industry) are restored.
• Lines serving large blocks of customers are restored next.
• Lines serving neighborhoods follow because larger numbers of customers are without power.
• Individual services are then restored because fewer customers are without power, and, in the case of scattered outages, it often takes more time and effort to get power back on.

Entergy Texas encourages customers to keep these safety tips top of mind:

• Stay away from downed power lines and areas of debris. Energized power lines may not be visible among the rubble.
• Report downed lines immediately to Entergy at 1-800-9OUTAGE ( 1-800-968-8243 ) , and call your local police station or fire department.
• Return home only when authorities advise and drive only on roadways and bridges that have been declared passable.
• If a power line falls on your vehicle while driving, continue to drive away from the line .
• Don’t walk in flooded areas or standing water. Remember that wet tree limbs can conduct electricity.
• Keep your distance from working crews. Work sites can have any number of hidden dangers for the public, and distracting crews can cause accidents to happen.

Stay informed:

Keeping customers informed before, during and after a storm is important to Entergy Texas. Here are some of the platforms we use to provide updates:

• Download the Entergy App at entergy.com/app . Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their home or business.
• Entergy’s View Outages website includes maps that show where outages are located and gives information about restoration progress.
• Register for outage text alerts through myEntergy. Customers should update their notification preferences to participate in text alerts. Customers also can sign up for text messages about storm and restoration efforts by texting REG to 36778.
• The Entergy Storm Center website has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.
• Operation: Storm Ready Guide is a free downloadable guide that helps customers plan and prepare for weather emergencies.
• Social media plays an important role in keeping customers informed. Follow Entergy Texas on Twitter at @EntergyTX and Facebook.com/EntergyTX .