The fridge can wait. Dialysis can’t. Neither can a concentrator when CenterPoint is dark.
Houston has a lot of people who live on a schedule of clinic days and oxygen tanks. Floods break both. You need a working plan in the next hour, not a hopeful “they’ll restore power soon.”
If they’re already short of breath, confused, or missed a session, that’s 911. Don’t bargain with it.
Do this now
- If it’s a medical emergency, call 911. Say dialysis, oxygen, or power-dependent equipment in the first sentence.
- Call the clinic or home-health number on the fridge magnet. Ask where they’re sending patients today.
- Report the outage to CenterPoint at 713-207-2222 (verify) and say medical equipment is in the home.
- Do not run a generator in a garage, near a window, or next to oxygen. Carbon monoxide kills faster than mold.
- Pack meds, the latest clinic card, and a list of settings for the machine if you have one.
Dialysis days after the streets flood
Clinics near bayous close or lose water. Patients get bounced to another site across town with a drive you can’t make. Call before you sit in traffic. If you miss a session, don’t invent a home workaround. The clinic or 911 owns that decision. 211 can help with transport once lines are staffed.
Oxygen and other machines
Tanks empty. Concentrators need wall power. Backup batteries last less than people think, especially in Houston heat. Keep tubing off wet floors. If you smell gas or the house is flooded at the outlets, leave the gear and get the person out. You can replace a machine. You can’t rewind a shock.
Who else to loop in
The neighbor with a truck. The adult kid in Cypress. The after-hours line on the oxygen vendor sticker. Write it down because you’ll forget under stress. If language is a barrier, say so on the 911 call. Houston dispatch can work in Spanish, and you can ask for language help instead of putting a grandchild on the phone as the only translator.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. CenterPoint 713-207-2222 (verify). Confirm clinic hours and street access before you travel. 911 for breathing trouble or a missed critical treatment.