Residents in counties north of Houston are bracing themselves for a potential winter storm that could bring significant ice accumulation to the region. The cold and rain expected this weekend have officials warning of serious impacts, including the possibility of power lines being weighed down by ice, potentially causing widespread outages.
Governor Greg Abbott has issued a warning, stating that the icy precipitation could weigh down power lines from the pole to individual homes, leading to power line downings. The areas most likely to feel the effects are counties north of Houston, including Montgomery, Grimes, Burleson, Walker, Polk, Trinity, Madison, and San Jacinto.
Energy experts have been working tirelessly to strengthen the region's power infrastructure in preparation for such storms. According to Entergy Texas customer service manager Kenny Muhammad, teams have been cutting branches, clearing vegetation, and replacing poles throughout their 17-county coverage area all year round. However, despite these efforts, outages can still occur.
Muhammad warned that once ice accumulation exceeds a quarter inch, branches become heavy enough to fall into power lines or cause lines to fall on their own. This could result in "cross arm break" and even pole tops tumbling. The National Weather Service is projecting about 3/10ths of an inch of ice accumulation, although the exact amount remains uncertain.
Residents are advised to take precautions by trimming any branches or vegetation in their backyards that could come into contact with power lines. It's also essential to stay informed about potential outages and track them on your energy provider's website.
As Muhammad noted, "any storm is unpredictable, but especially winter storms." If you lose power, checking your provider's outage map can give you an idea of how long the outage may last. Customer reports are also appreciated in helping your energy provider assess the situation.
Governor Greg Abbott has issued a warning, stating that the icy precipitation could weigh down power lines from the pole to individual homes, leading to power line downings. The areas most likely to feel the effects are counties north of Houston, including Montgomery, Grimes, Burleson, Walker, Polk, Trinity, Madison, and San Jacinto.
Energy experts have been working tirelessly to strengthen the region's power infrastructure in preparation for such storms. According to Entergy Texas customer service manager Kenny Muhammad, teams have been cutting branches, clearing vegetation, and replacing poles throughout their 17-county coverage area all year round. However, despite these efforts, outages can still occur.
Muhammad warned that once ice accumulation exceeds a quarter inch, branches become heavy enough to fall into power lines or cause lines to fall on their own. This could result in "cross arm break" and even pole tops tumbling. The National Weather Service is projecting about 3/10ths of an inch of ice accumulation, although the exact amount remains uncertain.
Residents are advised to take precautions by trimming any branches or vegetation in their backyards that could come into contact with power lines. It's also essential to stay informed about potential outages and track them on your energy provider's website.
As Muhammad noted, "any storm is unpredictable, but especially winter storms." If you lose power, checking your provider's outage map can give you an idea of how long the outage may last. Customer reports are also appreciated in helping your energy provider assess the situation.
but when it gets knocked off by a winter storm, everything changes 
our power lines and infrastructure are designed to withstand certain amounts of ice, but that doesn't mean they can handle the unknown variables of nature 
it's all about being prepared and aware of our surroundings, taking small steps like trimming branches in our backyard and staying informed about potential outages 
. I live in Houston area and I'm low-key freaking out about this 
. Ice on power lines is a major concern 
. I remember last year's storm, it was a mess 
. They're doing everything they can to prep, but accidents still happen 
. Residents gotta be proactive too... trimming those branches is key 
. Stay safe, everyone! 
. I mean, think about it, Entergy Texas has been working hard all year round to strengthen their power infrastructure, but you still can't rule out an outage. It's like, don't get me wrong, they're doing everything they can, but we need more redundancy in place, just like our politicians do when it comes to disaster relief funding.
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and it got me thinking... have you guys ever noticed how ridiculously expensive ramen is nowadays? Like, what even is the markup on that stuff?! I swear, when I was a kid, my mom could make this crazy delicious broth with just some scraps from the fridge and it cost like 50 cents. Now, you need to shell out 5 bucks for a single serving... anyway, back to winter storms... yeah, ice accumulation is so underrated 
and it's gonna be a messy one 
... branches can fall & cause major outages 
, but you never know what's gonna happen 
& check the outage map on your energy provider's site 
... every storm is unpredictable 
! 
... like a quarter inch of ice is gonna take down all the power lines in those counties north of Houston? that's just too much for anyone to handle... i mean, energy experts have been working hard to prepare, but it sounds like it might still be a pretty rough winter storm 
. at least they're advising people to check their provider's outage map, so we can kinda plan ahead 
I've lived in Texas for years and I know how bad these storms can be. They're always so unpredictable and it's just a matter of time before someone loses power and has to deal with freezing temps overnight 
Anyone who thinks they've prepared is sadly mistaken - we'll see how long it takes for the power to come back on. And good luck with those branches, Kenny Muhammad can talk all he wants but I bet nobody's actually been out there cutting them down 
. Mark my words, this storm is gonna be a mess 
. it's great to hear that residents are taking precautions like trimming branches and tracking outage maps online. these small actions can make a big difference in staying safe during an outage 
. But, at the same time, even with precautions taken, outages are still gonna happen, you know? It's like, we've got this fancy weather forecasting technology now, but sometimes it's hard to predict exactly what's gonna go down. And when those ice accumulations exceed a quarter inch, things can get pretty serious 
. dont wanna see anyone getting their power cut off 'cause a lil ice 
I'm a bit concerned about this potential winter storm heading towards Houston and its surrounding counties 
️. Staying informed about potential outages and tracking them on the energy provider's website is also a must 
, but I'm hoping it doesn't come to pass 
. It's also great that customer reports are appreciated in helping energy providers assess the situation 
My aunt in Houston is always talking about how crazy those storms are, like something out of The Walking Dead. 
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. I'm keeping an eye on that outage map and will be checking in with my provider regularly... fingers crossed we avoid any major issues 
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