HOUSTON — As winter weather moves into Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is warning residents to be cautious of false information and people impersonating ERCOT during the storm. The agency said Friday afternoon it does not send text messages to share information about grid conditions and urged Texans to rely only on official channels for accurate updates.
In a post shared at 5:37 p.m. Saturday, ERCOT said grid condition information is communicated through its official website, ercot.com, the Texas Advisory and Notification System, Emergency Alerts, its verified social media channels and the ERCOT mobile app. The warning comes as winter weather is expected to impact parts of the state, including Southeast Texas, this weekend and into Monday.
ERCOT’s message emphasized that any text messages claiming to provide grid updates are not legitimate. Officials are encouraging Texans to double-check the source of any information they receive and to stick with official communication channels during the storm.
Here in the Houston area, the KHOU 11 Weather Team has issued a Weather Impact Alert for Saturday, Sunday and Monday due to the potential for ice and a hard freeze. The setup could bring freezing rain, ice, dangerously cold temperatures and hazardous travel conditions, increasing the risk for confusion and misinformation as conditions change.
A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for Harris County and surrounding counties on Saturday and Sunday, including the immediate Houston area and coastal communities. An Extreme Cold Warning is expected across the Houston area this weekend, with the coldest temperatures forecast for Monday morning. An Ice Storm Warning will be in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday for areas including Madisonville, Trinity, Coldspring, Shepherd, Groveton, Corrigan, Livingston, Huntsville and Crockett.
KHOU 11 will continue to provide winter weather coverage on TV, on the KHOU 11 mobile app and on KHOU 11+ throughout the event, including a detailed day-by-day timeline of what to expect across the Houston area.
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