OFF THE GRID: United States and Jefferson County, Texas Power Outage Tracker (2024)

FAQs

How do I check the status of my power outage in Texas? ›

You can report a power outage or check the status of a previously reported power outage via our online reporting tool. You can also call us at 888.313. 4747. If you have signed up for My Oncor Alerts, text OUT to 66267 (ONCOR).

The 2021 power crisis occurred as a direct result of Winter Storm Uri, which hit Texas between the dates of February 13-17. Grid operators were unable to keep electricity flowing to customers due to an imbalance between supply and demand.

Please call us at 1-800-611-1911 so we can assist you. If you received a notification from us about an outage in your area, enter your Outage Number above. You can find it on your notification. With a bit more information, we can help you retrieve more accurate outage data for your location.

Report an Outage

Stay at least 35 feet away and call 713-207-2222.

As the USDA notes in Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency, your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after 4 hours without power.

Texas is the lone state in the contiguous United States with its own power grid. Embracing the go-it-alone spirit of the Lone Star flag, Texas power companies chose to keep their operations within the state's borders largely to avoid federal regulation.

More than 240 people died in Texas because of Uri and the associated grid crisis, which left over 4 million homes and businesses without power.

How Will Texas Solve Its Grid Problem? Winterizing natural gas and wind power against extreme cold may be Texas's best bet against future electricity blackouts. Diversifying their power sources may also help create a more reliable supply of energy.

The duration of a power outage depends on its cause and the extent of damage to the electrical infrastructure. On average, most technical or minor outages in the USA last about 1-2 hours.

Turn the power in the circuit off, selecting it on the electrical panel with the circuit breaker. Verify that the power is off by placing the voltmeter on the two output points at the bottom of the circuit breaker. The voltmeter will show that there is no voltage if the light does not light up.

How do I check if there's a power cut in my area? ›

Or you may also reach us at 877.373. 4858.

What is a nested outage? Isolated issues, also referred to as a "nested outage," is a smaller, separate problem — like a damaged transformer, service line or weatherhead — that causes an outage even after CenterPoint has restored power to the area by fixing the main issue.

One of the main differences between Reliant and CenterPoint Energy is that Reliant is a retail electric provider that sells electricity to customers, while CenterPoint Energy is a regulated electric transmission and distribution company that is responsible for maintaining and operating the electric transmission and ...

Turn on your multimeter and set it to VDC (Volts DC).

If you don't have a power supply tester, you can use a multimeter to check the voltage of your power supply. If your multimeter does not have an auto-range feature, set it to 10.00V.

Use a receptacle voltage tester by plugging the device into the outlet. The lights on the device will come on to indicate the presence of a live electrical current. Test an electrical outlet with a non-contact voltage tester by holding the tester about an inch away from the short slot on the outlet.

As Texas faced record-low temperatures in February 2021 and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state's electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity.