Houston area residents affected by deadly storms last week that resulted in at least seven casualties were receiving some positive updates. Officials stated that they anticipated power would be restored by Sunday evening to a majority of the hundreds of thousands still without electricity and air conditioning in the hot and humid weather.
Relief efforts were also underway with disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and loans from the Small Business Administration being provided, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. This federal aid would assist residents impacted by last week’s storms as well as those affected by flooding from heavy rainfall in late April and early May in Houston, Harris County, and surrounding areas.
The destructive storms on Thursday paralyzed much of Houston, causing thunderstorms and hurricane-force winds that demolished structures, uprooted trees, and shattered glass from skyscrapers. Additionally, a tornado touched down near Cypress, a suburb in northwest Houston.
As of Sunday morning, over 352,000 homes and businesses in Texas remained without power, with the majority located in the Houston region.
“It’s been chaotic here,” said Cypress resident Hallie O’Bannon. “We have no power, no hot water. It’s been really challenging.”
CenterPoint Energy expected that approximately 80% of affected customers in the Houston area would have their service restored by Sunday evening, with a potential restoration for 90% by Wednesday, as mentioned by Hidalgo.
Initial concerns about the significant delays in power restoration due to disrupted high-voltage transmission towers were alleviated as new technologies enabled rerouting around these damaged towers, a development that was welcomed by Hidalgo.
Weather
Houston residents may not have power back for weeks following deadly storms
6:23 AM, May 17, 2024
However, Hidalgo cautioned residents that if the equipment in their homes was damaged, power restoration would be delayed until necessary repairs were made.
Over 4,600 customers were still without power in Louisiana on Sunday morning, following the impact of strong winds and a suspected tornado.
CenterPoint Energy reported that 2,000 employees and over 5,000 contractors were diligently working in the Houston area to restore power.
“Given the higher temperatures in Houston and surrounding areas, the urgency of restoring power and air conditioning is even more critical,” said Lynnae Wilson, CenterPoint’s senior vice president of electric business.
The National Weather Service forecasted “sunny, hot, and increasingly humid days” in Houston, with temperatures expected to reach about 90 degrees (32 Celsius) and heat indexes potentially rising to 102 degrees (39 Celsius) by midweek.
Five cooling centers were opened in Houston on Sunday, while officials in Houston and Harris County were distributing food, ice, and water at five other locations. More than 2,500 cars received these supplies on Saturday.
Over 400,000 students had their classes canceled by Houston area school districts on Friday. The Houston Independent School District, the largest in the state, reported that power had been restored to nearly 200 campuses and they would reopen on Monday. However, 77 campuses were still without power, with updates planned to be provided later on Sunday.
