Evansville, Ind. – March 14, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy remains focused on preparedness as severe weather is forecasted to impact southwestern Indiana later this evening. According to the latest updates from the National Weather Service, strong wind gusts of up to 40 to 50 mph are expected this afternoon and this evening, with higher gusts possible. A line of severe thunderstorms is expected to develop later tonight, bringing the potential for damaging winds, large hail and the possibility of an isolated tornado. Additional storms could develop on Saturday with the potential for heavy rainfall in some areas.
CenterPoint's continued storm preparation efforts
With the potential for severe weather in the forecast, CenterPoint is continuing to take proactive steps to prepare for possible impacts:
- Activating additional frontline electric crews: Readied additional local full-time and contract frontline workers to help with the storm response.
- Pre-staging additional material and equipment: Operations team has prepared additional inventory for deployment in the event of damage to poles and other equipment.
- Sharing customer communications: Sharing safety and preparedness actions with CenterPoint customers across social media and other platforms to help keep customers informed and prepared.
- Preparing to conduct patrols and assess damage: Once storms exit the area and it's safe to do so, CenterPoint crews will be deployed across its service territory to assess damage.
“Our crews will be staged and prepared to respond safely and efficiently should outages occur," said Shane Bradford, CenterPoint's Vice President, Indiana Electric. “We are taking the necessary precautions and closely monitoring the evolving conditions to be ready to support our southwestern Indiana customers and communities."
Understanding power restoration and potential repairs
As part of its proactive communication ahead of the storm, CenterPoint is reminding customers how power restoration is prioritized in the event of service interruptions due to severe weather. Restoration efforts begin with critical infrastructure, followed by repairs that restore service to the greatest number of customers before addressing individual outages.
Safety and preparedness tips
CenterPoint encourages customers to take steps to prepare for severe weather:
- Stay informed: Monitor local weather updates and alerts from the National Weather Service. Follow CenterPoint on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) for updates.
- Downed power line safety: Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and report them by calling 800-227-1376.
- Prepare an emergency kit: Keep flashlights, batteries, water, medications and a battery-powered phone charger ready.
Electric customers encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service ®
Customers are encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times, as available or determined, and customer-specific restoration updates in the event of severe weather. With the option to receive updates via phone call, text or email, Power Alert Service® helps keep customers informed of restoration progress during an outage event.
Customers can get storm-related electric, natural gas and flooding safety tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter.