After a severe storm in our electric service area around Houston, CenterPoint Energy's emergency operation teams make an aerial survey, and nearly 600 inspectors check the damage from the ground to conduct neighborhood-by-neighborhood damage assessments so the right resources, crews and materials are assigned to each effort. We also set up special staging sites to begin work in the areas that were hit the hardest.

While the inspection teams are finding the damages, the crews are at work restoring power to key facilities vital to safety, health and welfare, such as hospitals, water treatment plants and public service facilities.

After key facilities, we restore all other customers using a priority restoration process focusing on making repairs to electrical facilities that will return power to the largest number of people first, then the next largest number, and so on, until power is returned to everyone.

In addition to our own employees and equipment, additional linemen from mutual assistance electric companies and line contracting companies as well as tree trimmers can be called upon to speed restoration to our electric delivery customers.