Hurricane season officially begins today, and just as CenterPoint Energy has an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), the company urges customers to have their own emergency plan ready to implement should a hurricane strike, particularly if they depend on electricity for life-sustaining equipment. Customers need to be prepared to be without power for two weeks or possibly longer depending on the severity of the storm.

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"Because no two storms are alike, it's not possible to forecast in advance what the exact damage to our electric system could be and how long the outages could last," said Scott Prochazka, division senior vice president of Electric Operations for CenterPoint Energy. "But it's important for customers to be prepared to be without power based on the following guidelines:"

                                          Prepare to be without
                                          power for:

  Category 1     winds 74 - 95 mph       7 - 10 days
  Category 2     winds 96 - 110 mph      2 - 3 weeks
  Category 3     winds 111 - 130 mph     3 - 5 weeks
  Category 4     winds 131 - 155 mph     4 - 6 weeks
  Category 5     winds 156 mph and up    6 - 8 weeks

As part of the company's EOP, the company has linemen and tree trimmers from around the country on stand-by ready to help its own field personnel assess damage, clear trees and begin power restoration once the storm passes.

In addition to having employees prepared, CenterPoint Energy has sufficient fuel and supplies in inventory to begin restoration efforts. The company has also made arrangements with its vendors and distributors for its post-storm needs.

In the first few days after a hurricane or major storm, CenterPoint Energy will assess the damage and then will work continuously around the clock until everyone's power is restored. The company's first priority in restoring service is to key facilities vital to safety, health and public welfare, such as hospitals, water treatment plants and public service facilities. Then, it repairs those major lines and circuits that will restore power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest amount of time.

  In advance of landfall, customers need to prepare by doing the following:

  Electric
  --  Unplug sensitive electrical appliances, such as your computers and TVs
  --  Turn off circuit breakers
  --  Make alternative arrangements if someone depends on electricity for
      life-sustaining equipment


  Natural gas
  --  Do not turn off your natural gas at the meter. The gas meter should be
      left on to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within the house
      and to prevent water from entering the lines should flooding occur.
  --  If you wish to discontinue gas service, turn the gas off at each
      appliance. Later, to restore gas service to an appliance, it is only
      necessary to follow the written instructions located on the appliance
      for relighting. If you are unable to locate instructions, call a
      qualified plumber.

For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit http://www.centerpointenergy.com/stormcenter. For information on power outage locations and estimated time to restore power, visit http://centerpointenergy.com/OutageTracker.

    For more information
           contact
  Alicia Dixon
  Phone                      713.207.5885
  Pager                      713.619.5143

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

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SOURCE: CenterPoint Energy, Inc.