HOUSTON – In the wake of Hurricane Nicholas, the City of Houston continues to clear roads, remove debris and work with CenterPoint Energy to restore power to all residents. Meanwhile, dangerous conditions still exist and Houstonians are asked to stay home tonight.
For their safety, the Houston Police Department asks residents to stay off the roads if possible, as power outages mean some streetlights and traffic signals remain out and downed powerlines may be on the road and hard to see in the dark. Additionally, the Houston Police Department has identified residential neighborhoods expected to be without power overnight and will increase patrols in those areas.
Houston Public Works, with the assistance of the Houston Fire Department, remains hard at work cutting and clearing debris from the roadways. Currently, there are more than 170 reports of debris needing to be cleared. Please be patient, as even after the roads are cleared, it may take a few days to completely remove all the debris from the side of the roadways. Additionally, about 135 traffic signals remain out – mostly due to the power outages. As the power comes back, Houston Public Works will ensure any blinking signals are made operational.
Debris left for pickup should not be placed near gas or water meters, as mechanical devices removing the debris may inadvertently damage or remove the meters.
The Houston Fire Department reminds residents who were cooking with electric appliances when the power went out to make certain any pots, pans or food is removed and the appliance is turned off. When power is restored, cookware on stoves left turned on can cause fires.
METRO bus lines, Park & Rides, an the METRORail Red and Green Lines are expected to be fully operational tomorrow morning (Wednesday, September 15). The METRORail Purple Line will resume operation with a bus bridge along the route.
Finally, the City of Houston will resume normal operations tomorrow (Wednesday, September 15).