HOUSTON — The entire state is experiencing an unprecedented power shortage due to a severe winter storm that has taken over Texas. After the CenterPoint outage map was down for most of Monday, it finally came back Monday night.
Early Monday, ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), the agency that oversees the state's electric grid, declared the state of Texas at the highest energy emergency level because of lower power supply and high demand due to extremely low temperatures during the winter storm.
Rotating power outages started across the state. But the outages we saw Monday were caused when the demand started to far exceed the supply, and then the weather started to play a role.
The Houston area has seen sub-freezing temperatures for hours, resulting in widespread power outages. Several warming centers have been opened across the Houston area.
RELATED: Houston-area warming centers open, ready for anyone in need of shelter due to severe cold weather
Watch out for CenterPoint imposters
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said there have been reports of people dressing up like CenterPoint employees to gain access to homes. Remember, the outages in Houston due to the severe weather do not require CenterPoint workers to enter residences.
When will the power come back on in Houston area?
There is no estimate as to when the power will come back on. Officials said it could be out for a couple of days.
Officials also said that with more cold air moving into the region, the power supply could again be impacted and could lead to even more people losing power. Text POWER to 713-526-1111 to get updates on the effort to restore power.