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What could be Tropical Storm Claudette could threaten the northern Gulf Coast this weekend.

Tropical Depression or Storm Could Form in the Gulf This Week

By Jeff Balke

Jun 15, 2021

Hurricane season officially opened on June 1 and we've already had one named tropical storm (Ana) with two more possibly on the way. A depression, possibly soon to be named Tropical Storm Bill, is off the North Carolina coast and is little threat to land. But, Claudette could be next,...

Texas' power grid operator is worried electricity demand might outstrip supply this week.

ERCOT Warns Power Outages Possible This Week If Folks Don’t Conserve Energy Pronto

By Schaefer Edwards

Jun 14, 2021

It turns out that arctic winter storms aren’t the only times Texans have to worry about the state’s power grid crapping out. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas asked state residents on Monday to cut down on their electricity usage through Friday to prevent possible power outages across the state,...

Buffalo Bayou Park at the intersection of Waugh and Allen Parkway will likely look like this again this weekend.

Flooding Threat to Continue Into Early Next Week

By Jeff Balke

Jun 4, 2021

On Thursday afternoon, another round of thunderstorms rumbled through the Houston area bringing upwards of two inches or rain per hour amidst a flurry of downpours that stretched from south Texas to western Louisiana. All we can tell you is, get used to it. A slow moving disturbance in the...

CenterPoint Energy's outage tracker showed over 10,000 locals didn't have power Thursday due to widespread thunderstorms.

Thousands Across Greater Houston Without Power As Thunderstorms Continue

By Schaefer Edwards

Jun 3, 2021

As nasty weather kept blowing in over Houston and surrounding areas, thousands of local residents had lost power to their homes as of Thursday afternoon. According to CenterPoint Energy’s local outage tracker, 10,426 electricity customers were powerless across the greater Houston region as of 2:33 p.m. Thursday. By 2:53 p.m...

Looks like we're going to get to practice our driving-on-wet-roads skills again this week.

More Heavy Rain, Potential Flooding to Start June

By Jeff Balke

Jun 2, 2021

June 1 is the official opening of hurricane season. But, the Gulf Coast doesn't need a hurricane for flooding. Just over a week ago, parts of southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana received as much as 20 inches of rain over the course of a week, creating flash flooding and pushing...

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Russ Poppe of the Harris County Flood Control District at Friday's press conference.

Lina Hidalgo Wants a New Deal on Hurricane Harvey Mitigation Funds [UPDATED]

By Margaret Downing

May 21, 2021

"The deck was stacked against us from the get-go." That was Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's assessment at a Friday press conference in which she protested the criteria used to determine what counties and cities would get what share of the federal funds set aside as the Hurricane Harvey Mitigation...

If you own a home in Houston, the time for getting prepared is long before there is a storm in the Gulf. How about now?

5 Ways Homeowners Can Get Ready for Hurricane Season Right Now

By Jeff Balke

May 21, 2021

Hurricane season begins on June 1 and, by all accounts, it is expected to be a busy season. Perhaps not 2020 busy when a record number of storms was recorded, but more active than normal according to the latest predictions from the National Hurricane Center. Living along the Gulf Coast...

Buffalo Bayou Park at the intersection of Waugh and Allen Parkway was under water.

Thunderstorms and Rain Whip Through Houston Overnight, But Luckily Don't Hover in Place

By Houston Press

May 19, 2021

Yes there was flooding and some residents lost power for several hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and a lot of us were kept up for hours with loud claps of late night thunder, but overall, thanks to a fast-moving storm, the Houston area fared better than expected so far...

Tonight's Performance of Fatherland at The Gordy Rescheduled

By Houston Press

May 17, 2021

Stages theater has just announced that because of the threat of severe weather in the Houston area, tonight's performance of Fatherland by Candice D'Meza has been rescheduled until Saturday June 5. The digital production, which premiered during Stages, 4th annual Sin Muros: A Latinx Theater Festival, will be viewed by...

Texans can stock up on fire extinguishers, batteries, first aid kits and other emergency supplies tax-free this weekend.

Emergency Supplies Are Tax-Free April 24-26, So Stock Up Soon To Save Some Cash

By Schaefer Edwards

Apr 23, 2021

February’s god-awful winter storm was a potent reminder that the best time to prepare for a disaster is before it hits. With those memories still fresh in the minds of Texans and with hurricane season only 39 days away, this weekend’s tax holiday on emergency supplies couldn’t have come at...

Early season hurricane forecasts are out, but how important are they?

Hurricane Forecasters Predict Another Busy Season - 4 Thoughts

By Jeff Balke

Apr 13, 2021

As Houston winter weather (i.e. cool-ish temperatures) gives way to spring, the flowers start blooming, everything looks green again and the first forecasts of the Atlantic hurricane season begin hitting the web. For sports fans, think of these as early mock drafts, but with significantly more science. The first of...

Rebirth of a Garden: After the Freeze

By Lorretta Ruggiero

Mar 17, 2021

Last week, we wrote about the damage done to our gardens by winter storm Uri, here in the Houston Press. The first couple of weeks after the snow, ice and single-digit temperatures showed a Houston landscape that seemed barren and devoid of life. But nature is an amazing mother. She...

Who's to blame for the devastation that followed the storm of a lifetime?

After Texas' Winter Catastrophe, Plenty of Promises And Blame To Go Around

By Schaefer Edwards

Mar 2, 2021

As Texas was blanketed with snow, I was one of the lucky ones. My fiancée Meghan and I live in a one-bedroom apartment a few blocks off Shepherd and West Alabama with our cat, Sabrina. We woke up on Monday, February 15 to find we still had electricity, which meant...

Don’t Buy That Generator Just Yet

By Jef Rouner

Feb 25, 2021

In the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri, there is plenty of interest in being able to generate your own power. With hurricane season also bearing down on us, maybe you’re thinking that a generator or other disaster equipment is a worthy investment. If you hold off until April 24 –...

Next time something like this happens, be ready.

Eight Items Homeowners Should Have Around for Houston Disasters

By Jeff Balke

Feb 24, 2021

The past few years have been complicated for Houstonians. And that is trying to put as positive a spin on it as possible. From hurricanes and floods to freezing temperatures, it's always an adventure to live here, which is why there are some things always worth having on hand, even...

It wasn't only water that had people boiling over after massive power outages in Texas.

Harris County To Investigate “Electricity Disaster” As ERCOT Board Exits the Texas Stage

By Schaefer Edwards

Feb 23, 2021

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced Tuesday that his office has launched a civil investigation into what caused the deadly power outages that swept over Texas last week. Tuesday also saw the first wave of resignations from the board of ERCOT (the Electric Reliability Council of Texas), the state’s power...

We should know soon whether the recent cold spell will put a damper on crawfish boils.

Eaux Neaux! Crawfish Farmers Worry the Recent Cold Snap May Have Been a Killer.

By Lauren Drewes Daniels

Feb 23, 2021

There’s a ritual and method to working through a pile of crawfish and for many tradition. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what to attribute it to, but there's a certain energy about crawfish season. Despite a great crop of mudbugs last year, COVID-19 restrictions crippled the industry as a whole;...

We all deserve to treat ourselves to a seafood feast right about now.

Houston Restaurants: Back to Business [UPDATED]

By Lorretta Ruggiero

Feb 23, 2021

Houstonians are a hardy bunch of folks but this past winter storm coupled with an ongoing pandemic and political back-biting about energy has some of us ready to throw in the towel. One of the hardest hit industries is the hospitality sector with restaurants, cafes, bars and food purveyors falling...

Houstonians lined up at plumbing supply stores this weekend to get tools to fix their busted pipes.

Finally Warm Again, Greater Houston's Winter Storm Recovery Continues

By Schaefer Edwards

Feb 22, 2021

After a weekend of mostly sunny skies, Texans are thankful to be on the other side of a week of devastating cold that brought the state to its knees. Across greater Houston, residents who are glad to have made it through this latest Lone Star crisis are still surveying the...

Greater Houston Mourns Those Lost In Winter Storm As Relief Efforts Ramp Up [UPDATED]

By Schaefer Edwards

Feb 19, 2021

With the worst of winter’s wrath finally behind us, most Houston area residents now have power and heat as one of the most trying weeks in recent memory nears its end. However, access to water remains a widespread problem. And as residents begin the long, hard recovery process, the tragic...

Weather

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Outage Fears Continue Tuesday As ERCOT Surges Prices

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