Entergy Outage in Huntsville, Texas: Current Problems and Outages (2024)

FAQs

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

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.

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).

Outages typically last 1-2 hours.

However, the three most common causes are natural causes, human error, and overload. Basically, any interruption between power generation and the supply of electricity to homes can cause a power outage. It can stem from inclement weather conditions, human error, equipment failure, and even animal interference.

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.

Depending on the amount of water remaining in the pipes, you might be able to flush your toilet several times while the power is out. Eventually, however, your tank won't fill up anymore because the pumps are down. When this happens, you will need to flush your toilet manually by pouring in a bucket of water.

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.

In February 2021, an extreme winter storm event caused a massive electricity generation failure in the state of Texas, which resulted in a loss of power for more than 4.5 million homes.

Turn off and unplug small appliances

Televisions, computer equipment, game consoles, fans, lights and all other smaller appliances should be unplugged, especially if they were in use when the power went out. Larger appliances, such as refrigerators, should not be unplugged.

Can I shower during a power outage? ›

Can I Shower When the Power Is Out? To shower when the power is out, your home needs a traditional tank-style water heater. If that water heater still has hot water in reserve, then you can take a warm shower. If you plan to take a shower, you need to do it soon after the power goes out.

The most likely cause is a bad connection or faulty wiring issue that does not allow an adequate flow of electricity to certain fixtures. That's why it's important to cut power to those fixtures when you discover the problem—loose wires are a leading cause of house fires, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

Be sure to unplug or turn off large electronics and appliances—like HVAC and refrigeration units—to prevent additional damage. Sometimes the easiest way to do this is by turning off individual breakers at the electrical panel. Once power is restored, systematically turn units back on.

This could be a sign that there's a current leakage in one of your electrical circuits. You should have a professional electrician come and take a look to identify the source of the leakage and fix it. An RCD will trip when the current flowing through it exceeds the rated trip current, which is usually 30mA.

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.

We also say: The electricity went out. The electric lines are down.

To effectively check your power supply, you will need a few essential tools. The primary tool is a multimeter, which measures voltage, current, and resistance. A digital multimeter is preferred for its accuracy and ease of use.

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.