CenterPoint Energy urges customers to be prepared for potential flooding and issues important electric and natural gas safety tips

HOUSTON, June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CenterPoint Energy has been closely monitoring and preparing for Tropical Storm Cindy, which is expected to make landfall later today. The company urges customers to follow important pre-and post-storm electric and natural gas safety tips.

Electric

    --  Stay away from downed power lines. Be especially mindful of downed lines
        that could be hidden in flood waters and treat all downed lines as if
        they are energized.
    --  If you experience flooding and water has risen above the electrical
        outlets in your home, contact a licensed electrician before turning on
        the main circuit breaker or trying to restore power.
    --  All electrical appliances and electronic equipment that have been
        submerged in water need to dry thoroughly for at least one week. Then,
        have them checked by a qualified repair person before turning them on.
        Attempting to repair a flood-damaged appliance could result in
        electrical shock or death. Attempting to restart it could result in
        further damage and costly repairs.
    --  If the outside unit of an air conditioning system has been under water,
        mud and water may have accumulated in the controls. Have the unit
        checked by a qualified air conditioning technician.

Natural Gas

    --  Do not turn off your natural gas service at the meter; doing so could
        allow water to enter the natural gas lines.
    --  Be alert for the smell of natural gas. If you smell gas, leave the area
        immediately and tell others to leave, too.
    --  If you smell gas, do not turn the lights on or off, smoke, strike a
        match, use a cell phone or operate anything that might cause a spark,
        including a flashlight or a generator.
    --  Do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off. Once safely away
        from the area, call 888-876-5786 and CenterPoint Energy will send a
        trained service technician.
    --  If your home was flooded, call a licensed plumber or gas appliance
        technician to inspect your appliances and gas piping to make sure they
        are in good operating condition before calling CenterPoint Energy to
        reconnect service. This includes outdoor gas appliances including pool
        heaters, gas grills and gas lights.
    --  Before cleaning debris, digging on your property or to locate
        underground natural gas lines and other underground utility lines, call
        811, the nationwide Call Before You Dig number.
    --  Be aware of where your natural gas meter is located. As debris is put
        out for heavy trash pickup, make sure it is placed away from the meter.
        In many areas the meter may be located near the curb. If debris is near
        a gas meter, the mechanized equipment used by trash collectors could
        pull up the meter, damaging it and causing a potentially hazardous
        situation. If this happens, leave the area immediately and call
        CenterPoint Energy at 888-876-5786.

For the latest information on power outages:

    --  Sign up for Power Alert Service for information on individual outages;
    --  Follow @cnpalerts and visit Outage Tracker for general outage locations;
        and
    --  Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter for electric and natural gas
        safety tips and other resources.

For more information contact:
Alicia Dixon
Office: 713.207.5885
Cell: 713.825.9107

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.