Millions of residents in and around Houston, Texas, have been left without power after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Monday. The storm caused widespread damage to the power grid, with over 2.7 million customers affected according to various sources.
CenterPoint Energy, the utility company responsible for providing electricity to most of Houston and its surrounding areas, has promised to restore power to one million customers by the end of day on Wednesday.
However, this promise may not be enough for those who have been without power for over 48 hours. The heat wave that followed Beryl's passing has made the situation even more dire, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels and no relief in sight.
The storm knocked over 10 transmission towers and toppled trees into power lines, causing extensive damage to the grid infrastructure. Energy expert Wei Due emphasizes the need for resiliency hardening investments to prevent such widespread outages in the future.
CenterPoint Energy has released a restoration progress map, but it does not provide specific time estimates for when power will be restored in each neighborhood. Some Texas leaders are questioning the utility's response and whether enough was done to prepare for the storm.
Acting Governor Dan Patrick has urged CenterPoint Energy to focus on restoring power as soon as possible, while also addressing concerns about critical infrastructure assessment and community infrastructure repair.
The situation is not unique to Houston. Entergy, another major utility company in Texas, reported about 174,000 power outages as of 7 a.m. Wednesday.
As the restoration efforts continue, it is crucial for residents to stay informed and prepared for potential power outages and extreme heat conditions.
