Entergy Texas has successfully restored power to almost all customers impacted by Hurricane Beryl in The Woodlands. Despite this, numerous crews are still working tirelessly to fix damages and ensure that communities affected by the storm are back to normal.
Eliecer Viamontes, the President and CEO of Entergy Texas, expressed his gratitude to the customers and communities for their unwavering support during the power restoration process. He acknowledged their patience and stated that Texans are tough and resilient. Furthermore, Viamontes assured that Entergy Texas would continue to make essential investments to strengthen the grid system and ensure that it is as robust as the people residing in their communities.
On July 8th, Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Gulf Coast as a Category 1 storm, causing widespread power outages for approximately 252,460 Entergy Texas customers. The storm’s impact included heavy rainfall, maximum wind speeds of up to 97 mph, and even a tornado within the Entergy Texas service area.
During the tropical event, the high winds and ground saturation led to severe damage caused by downed trees and other vegetation. This resulted in the damage of 806 poles, 400 transformers, and 979 crossarms, along with approximately 150 miles of downed wire. A workforce of over 2,400 individuals, both in the field and behind the scenes, worked tirelessly to ensure the safe restoration of power for the communities in Southeast Texas.
In addition to its restoration efforts, Entergy Texas went a step further to assist the affected communities by generously donating $125,000 to the American Red Cross for Beryl relief. The Red Cross volunteers have been working tirelessly with various response entities, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, and local businesses, to coordinate emergency relief efforts and provide prompt assistance to those in need.
Entergy Texas is taking proactive measures to enhance service reliability and strengthen the Southeast Texas power grid in the face of more frequent and severe storm events affecting the Gulf Coast region. In fact, the company has submitted an application to the Public Utility Commission of Texas for Phase I approval of its Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, which outlines a comprehensive strategy to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes.
Upon approval, customers will experience a considerable decrease in future storm restoration costs, estimated to be around $129 million, and a reduction in the duration of power outages by 4.5 billion minutes during significant weather events over the next half-century.