Hurricane Beryl: More than 1.3 million Texans still without power as 'dangerous heat' warning issued in storm's aftermath
Four days after Hurricane Beryl tore across southeast Texas, killing at least 11 people and knocking out power for nearly 3 million customers, more than a million are still without power.
According to PowerOutage.Us, a website that tracks power outages across the country, 1.3 million customers are without power in Texas — or about 10% of the state.
🔌 When will power be restored?
Most of those suffering power outages were customers of CenterPoint Energy, which provides power to 2.6 million. Beryl knocked out power to more than 2.2 million of the company’s customers. More than 1.1 million of them were still without power on Thursday morning.
In a statement, CenterPoint Energy said it expects to have power restored to an additional 400,000 customers by the end of the day on Friday and to an additional 350,000 customers by the end of the day Sunday.
The company said that more than 12,000 personnel from 13 states are working on restoring power but that the storm caused “significant structural damage” to the electric grid in some areas, including Houston, and that those areas are “expected to experience prolonged outages.”
Also read: Texans used cult fast food chain Whataburger's app to track power outages during Hurricane Beryl [Business Insider]
🌡️ Extreme heat is making the outages worse
The ongoing heat wave is making those prolonged outages even worse for millions who rely on air- conditioning. The National Weather Service issued a “dangerous heat advisory” for all of southeast Texas on Thursday.
“With power outages continuing across southeast Texas, the lack of air conditioning will aggravate the risk for heat-related illnesses,” the Weather Service said as high temperatures in the Houston area were forecast to climb into the 90s with heat indexes topping 106°F.
“If planning any outdoor work today, remain aware of the signs of heat-related illnesses, stay hydrated, plan work to avoid the hottest parts of the day, and use municipal cooling centers if available,” the Weather Service said.
Go in-depth: With power still out from Beryl, many Texas residents face their next challenge: Extreme heat [Yahoo News]
⛈️ A rough year for Houston
Hurricane Beryl was just the latest severe weather event to hit Houston in recent months. In May, 2 million people lost power when a fast-moving, severe thunderstorm dumped between 8 and 12 inches of rain on the city and high winds damaged buildings and toppled trees.
In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for over 50 counties in the state, including Harris, where Houston is located, after Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall, bringing flooding due to extreme rainfall.
Abbott — who was in Seoul, South Korea, on an economic development trip when Beryl made landfall — said Thursday that 67 counties have been approved for federal disaster assistance.
“I remain in contact with Acting Governor Dan Patrick, Chief Nim Kidd and other state and local officials on our ongoing response and recovery efforts,” Abbott said in a statement from Tokyo. “Our team is also in regular contact with electrical providers to ensure power is quickly restored to all Texans."
