useapen
2024-07-16 08:12:59 UTC
A week after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power for millions across
Houston, more than 250,000 homes and businesses are still without
electricity.
As of Monday morning, 257,205 customers were without power, according to
CenterPoint Energy. That's down from a peak of more than 2.5 million at
the height of the storm.
The utility said it expects to restore power to 90% of impacted customers
by the end of day Monday and 98% by Wednesday, with 14,000 crew members
working on the effort. However, a revamped restoration map shows some
areas aren't expected to have power restored until Thursday or Friday.
"The progress we have made over the past week is remarkable given the
scale of the damage we have seen across the region," the company said.
"Over 2,100 poles were damaged during the storm and over 18,600 weakened
trees had to be removed from our lines, which impacted over 75% of our
distribution circuits. Debris from metal roofs and billboards was carried
by sustained high winds into our equipment, causing a significant portion
of this damage as well."
After Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas on Monday, leaving at least 10
people dead in the state, CenterPoint had warned that customers in
hardest-hit areas could experience prolonged outages. Beryl caused
significant structural damage across the region -- including along the
coast where parts of the electric system have to be rebuilt. The hardest-
hit areas include Brazoria, where the hurricane made landfall, Matagorda,
and up the I-45 corridor to the Woodlands. Uprooted and downed trees on
poles and wires also caused significant damage in many areas across
Greater Houston.
Those without power -- and air conditioning -- are also dealing with
sweltering summer heat and an uncomfortable week ahead, with temperatures
in the mid-90s and heat index values as high as 106.
According to the National Weather Service, Beryl made landfall last Monday
as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph and heavy rain.
Although CenterPoint has restored power to more than 2 million customers,
they've been heavily criticized for the slow rate of recovery with some
questioning if they were adequately prepared for the storm.
"Our top priority is restoring power to the remaining impacted customers
as safely and quickly as possible. Dedicated restoration crews have
continued working around-the-clock through the weekend, restoring power at
the fastest rate in the company's history," CenterPoint said in a
statement. "We have heard and understand our customers' frustrations, and
we are committed to working together with the State, local government,
regulators, and community leaders both to help the Greater Houston area
recover from Hurricane Beryl and to improve for the future."
https://www.audacy.com/kmox/news/national/250k-in-houston-area-still-
without-power-in-sweltering-heat
Houston, more than 250,000 homes and businesses are still without
electricity.
As of Monday morning, 257,205 customers were without power, according to
CenterPoint Energy. That's down from a peak of more than 2.5 million at
the height of the storm.
The utility said it expects to restore power to 90% of impacted customers
by the end of day Monday and 98% by Wednesday, with 14,000 crew members
working on the effort. However, a revamped restoration map shows some
areas aren't expected to have power restored until Thursday or Friday.
"The progress we have made over the past week is remarkable given the
scale of the damage we have seen across the region," the company said.
"Over 2,100 poles were damaged during the storm and over 18,600 weakened
trees had to be removed from our lines, which impacted over 75% of our
distribution circuits. Debris from metal roofs and billboards was carried
by sustained high winds into our equipment, causing a significant portion
of this damage as well."
After Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas on Monday, leaving at least 10
people dead in the state, CenterPoint had warned that customers in
hardest-hit areas could experience prolonged outages. Beryl caused
significant structural damage across the region -- including along the
coast where parts of the electric system have to be rebuilt. The hardest-
hit areas include Brazoria, where the hurricane made landfall, Matagorda,
and up the I-45 corridor to the Woodlands. Uprooted and downed trees on
poles and wires also caused significant damage in many areas across
Greater Houston.
Those without power -- and air conditioning -- are also dealing with
sweltering summer heat and an uncomfortable week ahead, with temperatures
in the mid-90s and heat index values as high as 106.
According to the National Weather Service, Beryl made landfall last Monday
as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph and heavy rain.
Although CenterPoint has restored power to more than 2 million customers,
they've been heavily criticized for the slow rate of recovery with some
questioning if they were adequately prepared for the storm.
"Our top priority is restoring power to the remaining impacted customers
as safely and quickly as possible. Dedicated restoration crews have
continued working around-the-clock through the weekend, restoring power at
the fastest rate in the company's history," CenterPoint said in a
statement. "We have heard and understand our customers' frustrations, and
we are committed to working together with the State, local government,
regulators, and community leaders both to help the Greater Houston area
recover from Hurricane Beryl and to improve for the future."
https://www.audacy.com/kmox/news/national/250k-in-houston-area-still-
without-power-in-sweltering-heat