More than 5,000 CenterPoint Energy customers had no power Sunday morning, and the number could climb to up to 200,000 if precipitation includes more sleet than freezing rain, which can coat tree limbs and damage equipment, utility company officials said in a press briefing.
CenterPoint, which has 2.9 million customers in the Houston area, reported that widespread outages impacting 27,000 people were promptly restored Saturday. Officials say they expect to be able to restore power within 12 hours to any customers who experience an outage.
“Any outage is one too many for us, and that’s why our expanded team of 3,300 workers remains focused on our customers and communities and restoring anyone who may be out of service due to the winter weather impacts,” said Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint’s vice president of resilience and capital delivery. “We won’t stop until everyone’s power service is restored.”
CenterPoint’s outage tracker is updated about every three minutes, and the situation remains ever-changing.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a Friday news conference that his “team at City Hall has taken every possible step to protect critical infrastructure, open warming centers, and position police officers and firefighters to respond quickly to emergencies.”
Whitmire encouraged residents to stay off the roads and in a safe location until at least Monday morning.
Meteorologists said Sunday they expect conditions could worsen overnight Sunday and Monday as freezing temperatures are forecast.
“Regardless of what happens to roadways in your neck of the woods, a hard freeze is coming the next two nights, and that’s when you’ll need to protect your pipes,” ABC 13’s Travis Herzog wrote on social media Sunday morning, noting that elevated roadways like big flyovers and connector ramps may freeze over where temperatures fall into the 20s because the humidity is high and moisture remains on the ground.
“All things considered, Houston is about in the best position you could have hoped for at this time,” Herzog said.
Warming shelters
Warming shelters remain open across Harris County through Tuesday. All accept pets, but residents are encouraged to bring their own pet food if they can.
Facilities at Lincoln Park, Fleix Baldree, Deputy Almendarez, Bayland and Trini Mendenhall community centers offer cots and blankets and serve hot meals provided by the American Red Cross.
Snacks and water are also provided. Precinct 4 Chief Operations Officer Daniel Rodriguez said 57 people stayed overnight at the Bayland Community Center on Saturday.
“So far, everyone is doing good and appreciative to have a warm space to weather the storm,” he said.
The following city shelters do not have cots but offer blankets for residents who need to stay overnight:
- Acres Homes Multi-Service Center, 6719 W. Montgomery Road
- Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center, 6402 Market St.
- Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center, 4014 Market St.
- Fonde Community Center, 110 Sabine St.
- Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood Drive
- Magnolia Multi-Service Center, 7037 Capitol St.
- Metropolitan Multi-Service Center, 1475 W Gray St.
- Moody Community Center, 3725 Fulton St.
- Northeast Multi-Service Center, 9720 Spaulding St.
- Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Drive
- Sunnyside Community Center, 3502 Bellfort Ave.
- Third Ward Multi-Service Center, 3611 Ennis St.
Residents who need a ride to a warming center should call 311 and request a “zTrip.”
Closures and Scheduling Changes
The Houston Solid Waste Management Department announced a modified trash collection schedule, suspending service on Monday. All Solid Waste Management facilities, including neighborhood depositories, recycling centers and administrative offices, will be closed Monday.
Residents whose scheduled collection falls on Monday should place materials out on the next regularly scheduled collection day. An update regarding collection services on Tuesday will be provided once conditions are evaluated.
Houston ISD and several area districts canceled classes on Monday. Harris County civil and criminal courts will be closed Monday, as will Houston municipal courts. Early voting centers for the Congressional District 18 special runoff election will be closed Monday.
Air Travel
Houston Airports announced Saturday that they were using their own de-icing equipment to treat airfields and airport roadways at Hobby and Bush Intercontinental. Pre-treatment operations will continue as needed through the duration of the storm, a spokesperson said.
However, they suggested that those who have upcoming flights scheduled should check with the airline. Some carriers are offering travel waivers so passengers can change their flights.
Additionally, even though the Houston airport runways may be safe for takeoff, winter storms are active across the country so connecting flights and destination cities may be impacted.
Emergency operations centers are activated at both Houston airports.
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.