HOUSTON, TX — As the mercury plummeted and a treacherous glaze of ice descended upon the Lone Star State, Houston residents woke up Sunday to a rare victory against the elements. While Winter Storm Fern has left a trail of darkness across the American South, CenterPoint Energy reported remarkably minimal disruptions in the Houston metro area, even as statewide power outages climbed to a staggering 130,000 customers.
By 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 25, 2026, the contrast was stark. In East Texas and the Panhandle, utility poles snapped like toothpicks under the weight of freezing rain. But in the nation’s fourth-largest city, the grid held firm.
Houston’s “Frozen Fortress”: CenterPoint Reports Success
Despite the ominous forecasts of “catastrophic ice” that had officials on edge, CenterPoint Energy reported that approximately 99% of its customers remained online. As of mid-morning Sunday, only about 2,100 customers in Houston and the surrounding 12-county metro area were without power—a fraction of the 200,000 outages utility executives had braced for just 24 hours prior.
“Our expanded team remains focused on restoring power to anyone affected by the winter weather,” said Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint’s Vice President of Resilience and Capital Delivery. “We won’t stop until everyone’s service is restored.”
The utility has mobilized a literal “army” of more than 3,300 workers, including mutual assistance crews from nine different states. These teams have already successfully restored power to over 27,000 customers since Saturday morning, primarily in the northwestern sectors of the region where icing was most prevalent.
A State Divided: The Grim Reality Outside Houston
While Houston managed to dodge the worst of the blackout, the rest of Texas has not been as fortunate. The statewide power outages nashville and Texas residents are tracking show a rapidly evolving crisis.
- East Texas: Counties like Cherokee, Rusk, and Nacogdoches are currently the epicenter of the emergency. In Rusk County alone, over 50% of customers are in the dark as pine trees, weighted down by ice, have collapsed onto local distribution lines.
- Central Texas: Areas near San Antonio, managed by CPS ENERGY USA, have seen significant icing, with nearly 11,000 people experiencing disruptions in the early morning hours.
- The Panhandle: Wind chills in Amarillo dropped to a bone-chilling -20°F, creating life-threatening conditions for repair crews.
Utility trackers like PowerOutage.us confirmed that Texas currently holds the second-highest number of outages in the nation, trailing only Tennessee, where the nes power outage figures have exceeded 170,000.
Federal Intervention: Secretary Wright Issues Emergency Order
The severity of Winter Storm Fern prompted a swift response from Washington. Energy Secretary Wright issued an emergency order on Sunday morning authorizing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to tap into backup generation resources at data centers and major industrial facilities.
This move is designed to ensure the statewide grid remains stable as demand for heating reaches near-record levels. Unlike the catastrophic failure of 2021, the current power outages nashville and Texas are seeing are localized distribution failures—caused by falling trees and ice-loaded lines—rather than a total collapse of generation capacity.
How to Navigate the Freeze: Vital Links and Safety
With a second hard freeze predicted for Monday morning, CenterPoint and state officials are urging residents to remain vigilant.
Key Resources for Residents:
- Houston Outage Tracker: Residents should check the nashville power outage map equivalent for Houston via CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker.
- Text Alerts: Sign up for the Power Alert Service® to receive real-time restoration updates.
- Statewide Map: Monitor the broader power outages nashville and Texas trends through official utility portals.
| Utility | Current Outages (Approx.) | Status |
| CenterPoint Energy | 2,100 | Stable / Rolling Restoration |
| Oncor | 21,000 | Active Repairs |
| Entergy Texas | 2,500 | Addressing Ice Damage |
| Statewide Total | 131,000+ | Emergency Status |
Safety Reminders During a Power Outage
- Downed Lines: Always assume a downed line is live. Stay at least 30 feet away and report it immediately.
- Generator Safety: Never operate a generator inside a home or garage. Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless killer.
- Heat Preservation: If you lose power, gather in a central room and use blankets to block drafts under doors.
As the ice continues to accumulate through Sunday afternoon, the situation remains fluid. While Houston has seen “minimal” impact so far, the weight of the ice and the strain on the nashville power outage regions suggest that the “Baddy” of a storm—much like the relentless fighting style of Paddy Pimblett—isn’t finished with the South just yet.