Austin, TX
Texas weather: Austin Energy utility team helping restore power in Houston
Austin Energy helps restore power in Houston
Austin Energy crews are currently assigned to the Katy area as part of a mutual aid deployment following recent severe weather in Houston.
HOUSTON – Austin Energy crews were up early Monday morning working to restore power in Houston after recent severe weather.
It’s a tough job with a lot of challenges, according to team supervisor Landry Bertsch.
“Traffic’s bad. The weather is hot. It’s humid. There are mosquitoes. We’re running into a lot of property line work. A lot of damaging wind came through here and tore up the system pretty bad,” said Bertsch.
The Austin Energy crews are currently assigned to the Katy area. The focus is on repairing what’s described as the backbone of the local power grid, which is supplied by CenterPoint Energy.
“The customers are eager to get their lights on. They’ve been out of power now for a few days, and they’re getting, they’re getting kind of antsy,” said Bertsch.
Texas weather: Deadly storms slam Houston
Thursday’s storms turned deadly as they left behind a trail of destruction in Texas as well as Louisiana. FOX’s Katie Byrne reports.
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The storm hit the Houston area Thursday with 100 mph winds.
“It blew through here, something scary, very scary. Like in my adult life, it’s about as scared as I’ve been,” said Houston resident Jose Flores.
Flores took a break from clearing the damage at his house to thank the utility crew working down the street.
“I’m grateful for all the help. I know that sometimes, you see, you know, disasters like this and other municipalities come in. Oh, no. Greatly appreciate you. Love you guys. Thank you,” said Flores.
It is a slow and methodical process, according to Paul Vasquez, director of Electric System Field Ops with Austin Energy. Twenty-one line workers rolled out of Austin early Saturday as part of a mutual aid deployment. By that afternoon, they were already restoring power.
“The first day, that partial day, they were able to restore 700 customers. The second day there were 1,500 customers. And then, I spoke with the employee in charge over there, and he told me that they’re starting to get on some of the bigger project work,” said Vasquez.
Texas weather: Houston storms tear side off building
At least four people have died after severe storms moved through the Houston area.
The Austin Energy team is assigned to work only during daylight hours.
“So CenterPoint has their staff working 24 hours around the clock. They’re more familiar with it. So at night, they know where to go, what to patrol. And then what they find is our crews will come in the morning, and they’ll work during the daylight hours, and they’ll work from sunup to sundown,” said Vasquez.
The team is prepared to be in Houston for the remainder of the week.
“The mood with Austin Energy guys is incredible. Everybody’s eager. Everybody wants to help. Everybody’s excited. They’re glad they’re here,” said Bertsch.
AUSTIN, Texas — CBS Austin will air a special newscast Friday night examining where flood recovery efforts stand across Texas and what lies ahead, followed by a town hall streamed online.
“Rising Waters: One Year After the Floods” airs Friday at 6:30 p.m. on CBS Austin, taking a look at the current state of recovery efforts one year after the deadly flooding and posing the question of what’s next to state leaders.
Immediately following the special, a town hall will stream at 7 p.m. on CBSAustin.com and the station’s YouTube page.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Police Department (APD) Lake Patrol Unit will be enforcing the City Ordnance that prohibits the use and operation of personal watercraft, wet bikes, motorized surfboards, and similar devices on Lake Austin.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Police Department want the public to enjoy the parks and lakes but urge people to make this a safe holiday.
This city ordinance only applies to Lake Austin.
Personal watercraft ban
The backstory:
This ban will go into effect beginning at sunset on Friday, July 3, and ending on Sunday, July 5, at sunrise as outlined in Ordinance 8-5-81.
Non-motorized devices such as kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards can still be used along with watercraft designed for the conventional manner of sitting or standing in the vessel.
The annual ban on personal watercraft is necessary to ensure the safety of many people using the lake and parks over the July 4th holiday weekend.
Police will patrol Lake Austin this holiday weekend and urge people using waterways to follow the Texas Water Safety Act and City of Austin boating laws and ordinances. Police urge all boaters to practice safe boating and to call 9-1-1 for all reckless operation of boats or emergencies.
What is city ordinance 8-5-81?
- A person may not use or possess a jet ski, wet bike, motorized surfboard, or similar device on Lake Austin:From sunset on the Friday before Memorial Day until sunrise on the Tuesday after Memorial DayFrom sunset on the Friday before Labor Day until sunrise on the Tuesday after Labor DayFrom sunset on July 3 until sunrise on July 5
- From sunset on the Friday before Memorial Day until sunrise on the Tuesday after Memorial Day
- From sunset on the Friday before Labor Day until sunrise on the Tuesday after Labor Day
- From sunset on July 3 until sunrise on July 5
- A person operating a motorboat on Lake Austin shall stay on the right side of the lake, except when assisting a downed water skier.
- A person may not operate a watercraft on Lake Austin at a speed that is greater than reasonable and prudent under the existing circumstances.
The Source: Information from the Austin Police Department
AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas court has ordered that the domain name of a porn website be locked down after failing to comply with the state’s age-verification law.
What we know:
According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the state sued Kick Online Entertainment, the parent company of the site, in 2024 after it didn’t follow a law enacted in 2023. It requires that porn sites displayed in Texas institute age-verification measures to restrict minors’ access to sexually explicit material.
The company ignored the lawsuit and subsequent default judgment, according to officials.
A Travis County district court judge has since ordered the company that owns the domain registry for the site to lock it down until a $9.14 million bond and age-verification is implemented by Kick Online Entertainment.
What they’re saying:
“This court order establishes a huge precedent that websites can be stripped of their domain if they ignore the law and harm children with pornographic content,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “This affirms that protecting children from pornographic content is not only about collecting a penalty but also shutting down websites that refuse to obey the law. My office will continue to take action against any website that harms kids by allowing them access to pornographic content.”
The backstory:
Texas’ age-verification law was challenged on free-speech grounds. It was upheld in June 2025 by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Some sites have opted to block access to computers in Texas rather than comply with the law.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and previous FOX Local reporting.
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