July 21st, 2024

More than a week without power leaves Houston-area residents feeling abandoned

Houston-area residents faced severe challenges after Hurricane Beryl, enduring prolonged power outages leading to deaths, extreme heat, and struggles accessing necessities. CenterPoint Energy received criticism and investigations for its response.

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More than a week without power leaves Houston-area residents feeling abandoned

Some Houston-area residents, including seniors and vulnerable individuals, endured over a week without power following Hurricane Beryl, leading to extreme heat, spoiled food, and medical equipment failures. The outages left many feeling abandoned and hopeless, with at least 14 confirmed storm-related deaths, including those due to heat exposure. Residents struggled to cope, with some resorting to sleeping in cars and facing challenges in accessing basic necessities. The utility company, CenterPoint Energy, faced criticism for the prolonged outage, prompting investigations and threats of executive action from Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The company pledged to conduct a thorough review of its response to the crisis. Despite power being restored to many homes, the impact of the outage on residents, particularly the elderly and medically fragile, highlighted the dire consequences of the prolonged power loss in the region.

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Link Icon 2 comments
By @the_real_cher - 3 months
I would hate to not have air conditioning in Houston this time of year.
By @blackeyeblitzar - 3 months
In developing countries, loss of power or even water is common. America has simply forgotten what that reality is like. In reality, there’s only a thin barrier between what we consider modern civilization and a tougher life.