TL;DR: Entergy Texas reported approximately 70,000 customers without power at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday as Tropical Storm Edouard moved through Southeast Texas, with more than 1,500 resources assigned to assess damage and restore service where conditions allowed.

What households need to know about the Edouard outage in Southeast Texas

Entergy Texas crews were working in multiple shifts to provide 24-hour coverage and continue restoring power across the service area, according to Entergy Texas Tropical Storm Edouard update – 9/1/2026, 7:15 p.m. As of 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, approximately 70,000 customers were without power. The report was posted from THE WOODLANDS, Texas, and described crews assessing damage and restoring power where conditions allowed.

ABC13 Houston reported the same outage scale in its story titled Nearly 70,000 customers without power amid Tropical Storm Edouard, Entergy officials say. According to ABC13 Houston, Entergy Texas said crews were working to restore power as nearly 70,000 customers were without power as of 7:15 p.m. Tuesday amid Tropical Storm Edouard's landfall. According to Entergy, it had more than 1,500 resources in the field to assess damage, conduct repairs, and restore power as soon as possible.

For households, the central fact is interruption, not timeline. Entergy Texas said weather conditions can affect how quickly crews can safely assess damage and make repairs. That means residents in the affected portion of Southeast Texas needed to operate as if power could remain out through continued wind, flooding and access problems, while checking Entergy's View Outage map for the latest information on outages in their area.

How many customers lost power

The company reported approximately 70,000 customers without power at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. That figure describes customers, which in utility reporting means billed accounts, not individual people.

Entergy Texas provides electricity to approximately 538,000 customers in 27 counties, according to the company background included in the Entergy update. The 70,000 figure therefore represents a substantial share of that Texas customer base experiencing simultaneous interruption during the storm passage.

Households outside the outage zone still needed to stay informed because Entergy asked customers to continue to use caution as Tropical Storm Edouard moved through Southeast Texas. Outage totals in storms can change as crews isolate damaged portions of the system to complete repairs safely, and the company directed customers to the View Outage map rather than assuming conditions were stable because lights remained on nearby.

Residents should keep the outage map address available and check it for the latest information on outages in their area. To stay informed, the company also directed customers to visit Entergy's online Storm Center for storm updates and use the Entergy app for updates on service.

Who is restoring power

Entergy Texas said it had more than 1,500 resources in the field working to assess damage, make repairs and restore power as safely and quickly as possible. The company described crews working in multiple shifts to provide 24-hour coverage.

Frank Shannon, vice president of reliability for Entergy Texas, said crews were focused on safe restoration under difficult access conditions. "Our crews are doing everything they can to safely restore service to our customers," Shannon said, according to Entergy and ABC13 Houston.

Shannon also said high winds, flooding and other conditions can make restoration more challenging. "While high winds, flooding and other conditions can make restoration more challenging, our teams will continue working to reach all areas affected by the storm as soon as it is safe to do so," he said.

For households, the staffing description matters for expectations around work zones. Entergy asked customers to keep a safe distance from crews and work zones so employees can safely complete restoration work. Giving crews room supports the 24-hour coverage plan described for the service area.

Why wind and flooding slow restoration

Weather conditions can affect how quickly crews can safely assess damage and make repairs, according to Entergy. The company identified specific limits that households should understand when estimating how long an outage might last.

For the safety of crews, Entergy Texas cannot operate bucket trucks when sustained winds are 35 mph or higher. That single operating rule explains why power may remain out even after wind appears to ease at ground level at a particular home, because sustained winds elsewhere in the work area can still prevent elevated work.

Flooding, debris and other hazardous conditions can also prevent crews from safely accessing damaged equipment, according to the update. That means a street that looks passable to a resident may still be unsafe for heavy utility equipment or for workers handling energized components.

Even when bucket trucks cannot be used, crews may be able to restore power in some areas by rerouting power or taking other actions that can be performed safely. That option does not guarantee restoration for every address, but it is one reason the company continues assessment and system operations while elevated work is paused.

What specialized equipment crews are using

Crews have access to specialized equipment and vehicles that aid damage assessments and restoration, including helicopters, drones, rear-alley machines and high-water vehicles, according to Entergy.

Each tool addresses a different access problem described in the same update. Helicopters and drones can aid damage assessments when roads are blocked or areas remain hazardous to enter on foot. High-water vehicles can aid access where flooding prevents standard trucks from reaching damaged equipment. Rear-alley machines can aid work in confined locations where larger equipment cannot be positioned safely.

Households do not need to approach these operations to get information. Customers can visit Entergy's View Outage map for the latest information on outages in their area, and the company pointed customers to the online Storm Center and the Entergy app for updates on service.

Keeping a safe distance from crews and work zones remains important when specialized equipment is present. Helicopter, drone and high-water operations require clear space, and debris and flooded ground around work zones can hide electrical hazards and other dangers.

How to stay safe around electricity and floodwater

Entergy urged customers to continue to use caution as Tropical Storm Edouard moved through Southeast Texas while crews worked to restore power. The company listed specific safety actions for households during and after the storm.

Stay away from downed power lines and anything they may be touching. Always assume a downed line is energized. That instruction applies even if the line is not sparking, humming or moving, because status cannot be determined by appearance.

Do not walk or drive through floodwaters. Flooding can hide electrical hazards and other dangers. Water can conceal downed conductors, energized objects, debris, open drains and washed-out road surfaces.

Do not trim trees or remove debris near downed power lines. Only qualified crews should remove vegetation touching electrical equipment. Storm debris can hold tension on lines or conceal contact points, and cutting or pulling limbs can expose a resident to an energized conductor.

Report downed or damaged power lines by calling 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243). Keeping that number accessible before batteries run low helps households report hazards without delay.

How to handle generators and work zones

If using a generator, follow all manufacturer instructions and never operate it indoors or in an enclosed space, according to Entergy. That guidance is especially important during widespread outages when households may run portable units for extended periods.

Manufacturer instructions cover placement, fueling, connection and shutdown for the specific model in use. Households should keep the manual with the unit and follow it rather than improvising connections during an outage.

Never operating a generator indoors or in an enclosed space reduces exposure to exhaust hazards in homes, garages, sheds and other enclosed areas. The company stated that prohibition directly alongside the instruction to follow manufacturer directions.

Households should also keep a safe distance from crews and work zones so employees can safely complete restoration work. Work zones may include trucks, equipment staging, temporary barriers, felled vegetation and repaired conductors, and entering that space can interfere with repairs and place residents near electrical equipment.

What to check now for outage information

The company directed customers to Entergy's View Outage map for the latest information on outages in their area. That map is the designated source for local outage status while crews assess damage and restore power where conditions allow.

To stay informed more broadly, customers were directed to visit Entergy's online Storm Center for storm updates and use the Entergy app for updates on service. Keeping both options available matters because home internet and cellular service can be unreliable during tropical weather and extended outages.

Households should save the Storm Center address, the outage map address and the reporting number 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) in a phone and on paper. Paper backup matters when phones cannot be charged during an extended interruption affecting approximately 70,000 customers.

Entergy Texas, headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, with approximately 12,000 employees, generates, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for more than 3 million customers through operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, according to the company description. Its customers are connected to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. power grid, described as a regional transmission organization responsible for administering transmission systems of member utilities in 15 states and Manitoba, Canada.

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