CenterPoint Energy began installing 100 weather monitoring stations throughout the Greater Houston area April 28 ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season beginning June 1.

What residents need to know

The monitors will be the first owned by an investor-based utility company in the state of Texas, officials announced in an April 28 news release. The 100 monitors will be installed on existing electrical infrastructure across all 12 counties in the company’s Greater Houston service area.The devices are part of the company’s Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative aimed at strengthening the region’s power grid, Community Impact reported. The program launched last July after 2.2 million customers were left without power during Hurricane Beryl.

Zooming in

Every two to five minutes, the devices will take measurements ranging from humidity level, wind speed, temperature and rainfall levels, per the release.

According to the release, the data aims to enable CenterPoint to:

• Better forecast severe weather
• More precisely distribute resources
• Faster prepare for impacts to electrical systems

In their own words

Matt Lanza, CenterPoint’s meteorology manager and emergency preparedness and response team member, said the installation is a “historic moment” not only for the company but Texas as a whole.

“Our weather network will provide invaluable situational awareness, in real-time, to help us act quickly, proactively and precisely before weather threatens to impact the electrical system and our customers,” he said in the release. “Best of all, we will be able to share this vital information with all our emergency partners, state and local governments, and the public, so that everyone across our communities can be better prepared.”

What’s next?

The installations are set to be completed by June 1 with hurricane season running through Nov. 30, per the release.