CenterPoint Energy Activates EOC as Tropical Storm Bertha Tracks Along Louisiana Coast — Weaker System Heads Toward Texas Friday

Tropical Storm Bertha formed in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on Monday and made its first landfall in southeastern Louisiana Wednesday evening as a tropical storm with sustained winds around 45–50 mph.

The system is now tracking west along the northern Gulf Coast and is forecast to weaken steadily as it approaches Texas.

For Spring–Klein readers, the news is reassuring: Bertha is no longer forecast to make a direct hit on Southeast Texas.

Instead, the system is expected to brush the upper Texas coast Thursday as a weakening tropical depression, then move farther inland Friday as a remnant low before dissipating.

What that means locally:

• Thursday: Hot, mostly cloudy, with a 20–40% chance of afternoon showers or a thunderstorm. Highs around 89–92°F.
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• Friday: Slightly higher rain chances (25–75% depending on source) as tropical moisture from Bertha moves through. Highs around 93–94°F.
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• AccuWeather calls the local impact "minimal" — primarily a slight bump in shower chances rather than a serious storm event.
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CenterPoint Energy, the electric and natural gas utility serving Spring, Klein, Tomball, The Woodlands, and the rest of Greater Houston, activated its Emergency Operations Center on Monday and has been operating under enhanced staffing since.

The current posture is precautionary rather than emergency:

• Approximately 2,600 personnel are mobilized (company workforce plus contractors).
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• Vegetation management crews have been actively trimming hazardous trees and branches from power lines across Greater Houston ahead of the system.
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• Power line inspections are underway.
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• Customer service call centers have increased staffing, with reported wait times under one minute.
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• Direct outreach continues to customers who depend on electricity for life-sustaining medical equipment.
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The company has issued guidance for the more than 2.25 million natural gas customers across its three-state service area (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi) about gas-leak detection and what to do if appliances or meters are exposed to floodwater.

How readers can act now:

• Sign up for Power Alert Service at centerpointenergy.com for outage alerts and restoration updates by text, email, or phone for your specific address.
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• Monitor local conditions Friday: Have a backup plan in case of scattered outages from tropical-moisture thunderstorms — but this is not a major storm event.
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• If the power goes out: stay 35 feet away from downed lines and assume they are energized. Report outages through Power Alert Service or by calling CenterPoint.
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• Standard summer storm prep still applies: Keep phones charged, have flashlights and water on hand, and know where your breaker box and gas shutoff are.
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• Track the system: NHC advisories at nhc.noaa.gov; local NWS Houston updates; Harris County / Montgomery County emergency management channels. Check back Thursday evening for the latest on Friday's rain chances.