CenterPoint said it’s working in the area that’s known to be “vulnerable to weather-related service interruptions.”<\/p>\n
HOUSTON \u2014 Neighbors in the Kingwood-Porter area say they\u2019re fed up after months of what they call \u201cnever-ending\u201d power outages that have disrupted their lives, spoiled food, and even damaged appliances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve pretty much had it with losing power in my neighborhood,\u201d one resident said in a call to KHOU\u2019s Your Voice line. \u201cWe have lost power 23 times during 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents in the Royal Brook subdivision say the outages have become a frustrating \u2014 and costly \u2014 part of daily life.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot having reliable power,\u201d said homeowner June Kalman-Parillo, \u201cthat\u2019s the biggest issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kalman-Parillo says she\u2019s lost power more than 20 times this year alone, including three times in one week last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last time I experienced it was Monday,\u201d she said. \u201cBefore that, it was Sunday, and before that, Friday night.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a senior living on a fixed income, she says the frequent blackouts have put her health and budget at risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually ate food that was questionable because I had just gone to the grocery store,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t afford to replace it. I probably lost $500 to $600 worth of food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big inconvenience,\u201d said Carson Embry, another Royal Brook resident. \u201cOur microwave went out because of a power surge. It\u2019s definitely taking a toll \u2014 some people have lost their refrigerators or dryers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Embry said calls to CenterPoint Energy for answers haven\u2019t provided much clarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo definitive answers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just creates frustration.\u201d<\/p>\n
KHOU 11 reached out to CenterPoint Energy for comment. The company sent a statement that reads:<\/p>\n
“We are working hard every day to build and operate the most resilient coastal grid in the nation, and we know we have more work to do. We understand how disruptive and frustrating any outage can be, and we appreciate Ms. Parillo and other customers in the Porter area for sharing their experiences. The neighborhood near Winwood Falls Way is located in a densely vegetated part of our service territory and has been especially vulnerable to weather-related service interruptions.<\/p>\n
“We know that there have been several recent interruptions, primarily caused by falling trees, lightning, and high winds, including the severe storms on the weekend of Oct. 25. It\u2019s also important to note that some of the trees contributing to outages are located outside of CenterPoint Energy\u2019s easements, which limits our ability to trim or remove them directly.<\/p>\n
“Since the summer, CenterPoint Energy has ramped up efforts to improve reliability on this customer\u2019s circuit, which serves this neighborhood. Our teams completed a full inspection in July, followed by extensive tree trimming and removal, as well as vegetation management work. A second inspection was conducted in mid-October, and additional service reliability improvements are currently underway. In some cases, service interruptions may occur while this work is being performed.<\/p>\n
“This work is part of our broader Greater Houston Resilience Initiative, which in this case focuses on strengthening infrastructure in this area with dense vegetation and elevated outage risk. We remain committed to improving service reliability and will continue working to address any remaining customer concerns.”<\/p>\n
Residents, however, say they\u2019re still waiting to see those improvements take effect.<\/p>\n
At this link<\/a>, CenterPoint customers can find information about filing a claim<\/a> if they feel CenterPoint is responsible for damaging their property.<\/p>\n