News Release > Entergy Texas encourages customers to prepare for spring storms

Entergy Texas encourages customers to prepare for spring storms

03/04/2024

The company shares spring safety tips during Texas’ Severe Weather Awareness Week, observed March 4-8

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Spring weather is welcomed for its sunny skies and cool breezes, but the season can also bring dangerously irregular storms. Ahead of the seasonal switch, the National Weather Service declared March 4-8 as Severe Weather Awareness Week for Southeast Texas. The annual observance educates Texans on weather hazards that can occur during the spring months, like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and extreme heat.

Entergy Texas crews and contractors plan and train for storm readiness year-round, which helps us safely restore power as quickly as possible. Teams also perform routine inspections of electric infrastructure, trim trees away from power lines, and upgrade equipment to reduce the likelihood of outages from severe weather. As severe weather threatens, we monitor, mobilize and act.

Entergy Texas encourages customers to prepare for spring storms by following these safety tips:

• Make a plan. Sit down with your family and share all emergency contact information, so everyone knows how and who to alert. Designate one or more out-of-town contacts. Be aware of the emergency plans at work, and if applicable, your children’s school or elderly family members’ residences if they do not live with you. If your household depends on life-support or other medical equipment, discuss a plan with your physician, including alternate living arrangements, should unplanned, extended outages occur.
• Keep a kit nearby. Experts agree it’s a good idea to have items such as non-perishable food, plenty of water, flashlights, a first aid kit with extra batteries, and an easy-to-access portable phone charger on hand in case of storms. Remember to check the expiration dates on your supplies often and replace the expired items.
• Keep up with weather updates. Install a smart phone app that will alert you when severe weather is in the area or sign up for emergency alerts on your smartphone. A weather radio with a loud alarm can also help wake you when severe weather threatens overnight. 

Stay informed

Knowing how to communicate with Entergy Texas after a storm hits is important. There are several ways to report outages and downed power lines:

• Download our free app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app.
• Sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 36778 and have your account number and ZIP code handy. The registration pattern is as follows including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code). Once registered, text OUT to 36778 to report an outage. You can also report an outage online as a guest.
• Visit the Entergy Texas Storm Center website and our View Outages page.
• Call us at 800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).

Storms aren’t the only emergencies for which we prepare. Team members from across Entergy Texas’ service area recently completed Entergy GridEx training, which drills participants on extreme hypothetical natural and/or man-made threats to operations. Observing Texas’ Severe Weather Awareness Week reminds us that extreme scenarios could happen during severe weather – underscoring the importance of advanced planning.