HOUSTON (AP) — The scorching heat is adding to the woes of those without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Texas, leaving residents struggling to find places to cool off and refuel as extended outages strain one of the country’s largest cities.
Over 1.7 million homes and businesses were still without power on Tuesday night, a decrease from the peak of over 2.7 million on Monday, as reported by PowerOutage.us. State officials are facing scrutiny over the preparedness of the power utility covering much of the area.
More than 36 hours after Beryl made landfall, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that a sports and event complex would temporarily house up to 250 hospital patients awaiting discharge due to lack of power in their homes.
Residents are doing their best to cope with the situation.
“We can handle it, but not the kids,” said Walter Perez, who sought refuge at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Houston, where cooling centers and water distribution were set up.
CenterPoint Energy, servicing much of the Houston area, defended its preparedness and response amid the crisis.
“To have crews ready to go early in the morning after a storm hits in the afternoon is quite impressive given the scale of work involved,” said Brad Tutunjian, vice president of regulatory policy at CenterPoint Energy.
Temperatures in the Houston area climbed back to above 90 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, with high humidity making it feel even hotter. The National Weather Service warned of potentially dangerous conditions due to lack of power and air conditioning.
Beryl, a Category 1 hurricane that made landfall on Monday, has resulted in multiple deaths in the U.S. and Caribbean.
Priority is being given to restoring power, with nursing homes and assisted living centers at the top of the list, according to acting Governor Dan Patrick.
For many in the Houston area, this ordeal is a painful reminder of the storms in May that left almost 1 million people without power and claimed lives.
Residents lined up at restaurants like KFC, Jack in the Box, and Denny’s for meals. Some criticized city and state officials for inadequate warning about the storm’s impact.
Robin Taylor, whose home was damaged in May storms, is now living in a hotel that flooded during Hurricane Beryl.
“No WiFi, no power, and it’s hot outside,” she said. “People will die in this heat in their homes.”
Amid the crisis, families like Kyuta Allen’s sought refuge in cooling centers to escape the oppressive heat.
Associated Press journalists Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed.
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