What CenterPoint is doing to make sure the power stays on during the arctic blast

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Everyone is preparing for freezing temperatures coming to southeast Texas.

Green House International Church in Greenspoint is open to keep families warm. Meanwhile, Lakewood Church and the George R. Brown Convention Center will open Thursday afternoon.

CenterPoint told ABC13 if the cold weather causes any power outages, crews are ready to restore service as quickly as possible.

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In the meantime, crew members are inspecting transmission structures and wires, and looking at current grid conditions. The company said Houstonians should prepare for prolonged outages if there's extensive damage to its systems from strong wind gusts and downed trees.

Plumbers say extensive damage to your pipes can be a hassle at home.

"Sheetrock damage, flood damage, your appliances, your furniture, major damage to your home," Nathan Renfro, owner of Texas Plumbing, said.

He explains how you can protect exposed outdoor pipes in the next few hours to get ready.

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"If you go to Home Depot, or any ACE Hardware right now, they are sold out," Renfro said. "So, the next best thing would be to go into your closet, get a blanket, wrap it around the pipe, use some duct tape and secure it that way."

If you leave the house after temperatures plummet, mechanics say to give yourself a few extra minutes to get there.

"A customer will start up a car, and immediately start driving it," Costa Kouzounis, a mechanic at Demo's Automotive, said. "You'll always want to let it get to operating temperature before you actually start driving it."

If it's too cold for your car, veterinarians say that after the front rolls through, temperatures will most likely be too cold for most pets, too.

"Probably, anywhere approaching, below 40 (degrees), I would say, you need to be taking aggressive measures to make sure they have shelter and food," Hannah Spacek, owner and veterinarian at Needville Animal Hospital, said.

She told ABC13, although pets have survival instincts, you should still take them inside.

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"They need some kind of covering, a garage, an outbuilding, something like that where they can get in, get out of the cold, get out of the wind, get out of the moisture, and then some kind of bedding," Spacek said. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but old towels, old blankets."

To protect yourself, meteorologists say to stay warm, because frostbite can happen within about 30 minutes of exposure.