CenterPoint releases power outage map; 1.3 million still without power after Beryl – Houston Public Media

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More than 1.3 million CenterPoint Energy customers were still without power Wednesday morning, nearly two days after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to more than 2 million people.

The company has so far restored power to more than 850,000 customers and is on track to restore power to at least 1 million customers by Wednesday.

CenterPoint released a map Tuesday night that provides an overview of Houston’s power restoration efforts. The map shows areas that currently have power, areas where assessment is underway and areas where circuits need to be repaired.

On Wednesday, the map posted showed which streets in downtown Houston, West University Place and other downtown Houston neighborhoods have been restored.

RELATED: Houston’s Most Burning Question: When Will My Power Be Restored After Hurricane Beryl?

However, the map’s veracity has been questioned by customers on social media. The map also doesn’t give a timeline on when the outages will be restored. Company officials say they are still completing a damage assessment and can’t provide details on a timeline.

The company has been heavily criticized for its handling of the outages and its communication with customers. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, when asked if the company was prepared, said he had requested details about CenterPoint’s preparations.

“CenterPoint will have to answer for its actions if it was prepared and positioned. The state was positioned and prepared. I will tell you whether I am satisfied or not when I have a full report,” Patrick said Tuesday.

The outages addressed so far have been related to the company’s distribution system, which is designed to lock itself out to prevent further damage, according to CenterPoint.

In May, CenterPoint removed its power outage map from its website, citing technical issues and increased traffic, after a deadly derecho knocked out power to nearly a million customers. Some Houstonians got crafty this week after a social media user noticed that the Whataburger app could serve as a de facto power outage map, showing which fast food restaurants are open and which are closed in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.

RELATED: Whata Power: Houston-area residents hungry for outage information turn to Whataburger app map

In a press release, CenterPoint said the company’s overall system was operating largely as expected, although Beryl “directly impacted the majority of the company’s 5,000-square-mile system, resulting in downed trees, branches and other debris impacting its distribution poles and cables.”

CenterPoint assesses damage in southeast and northwest Houston, according to outage map.

“We have made solid progress and exceeded the number of customer restorations following Hurricane Ike, but we have much important work to do, particularly in the hardest-hit areas where the work will be more complex and time-consuming,” Lynnae Wilson, senior vice president of the electrical business, said in a statement.

“We know that many customers rely on us to do our work as safely and quickly as possible, and that will continue to be our top priority,” Wilson said.