About 5,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area were without electricity as of about 8 a.m. Sunday, according to CenterPoint Energy’s online outage tracker. The utility company that serves much of the region had reported more than 8,400 customers without power earlier in the morning.

Houston is under winter weather alerts, facing a mix of sleet and freezing rain with potential for icy conditions and extreme cold.

CenterPoint Energy has mobilized a massive workforce of 3,300 line workers and 700 natural gas personnel as Southeast Texas prepares for a significant winter storm expected to bring ice and freezing winds Saturday night.

Winter weather is disrupting flights nationwide. Houston Airports have crews ready as passengers face delays, cancellations, and changing travel plans.

Houston benefits from a dose of rain Wednesday ahead of a powerful arctic front that could deliver a dangerous wintry mix of freezing rain and ice.

Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are competing in a Jan. 31 special election runoff as they seek to fill the vacancy in the 18th Congressional District.

Officials are optimistic the power grid will hold, but freezing rain and arctic cold could cause localized electricity outages in the coming days.