As Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Houston, the city’s power company, CenterPoint Energy, faced growing pressure from frustrated residents who were left without electricity for nearly three days. The Category 1 storm’s aftermath left millions of residents sweltering in hot and humid conditions, with temperatures rising to potentially dangerous levels. The prolonged power outage sparked questions about how a city so familiar with destructive weather could not withstand a relatively weak storm.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire called on CenterPoint Energy to do a better job of restoring power, echoing the sentiments of residents who were struggling to cope with the lack of electricity. “That’s the consensus of Houstonians. That’s mine,” Whitmire said. The utility company responded by stating that it had restored over 1 million of the 2.26 million customers affected by the storm, with plans to restore an additional 400,000 customers by the end of Friday and 350,000 more by Sunday.
However, some residents expressed skepticism about the company’s response, citing the extended duration of the power outage. Carlos Rodriguez, a construction worker, recounted his family’s struggles, including using a makeshift fan made from a piece of cardboard to cool their home. “We have no power, we’re going to bed late, and I’m using a fan made out of a piece of cardboard to give my kids some relief,” he said.
As the heatwave persists, residents are turning to food distribution centers and makeshift shelters to cope with the lack of power. Hospitals are also taking in patients without electricity, setting up makeshift areas to accommodate those in need. CenterPoint Energy’s response has been criticized by city leaders and residents alike, who are demanding better preparation and quicker restoration of power.
Hurricane Beryl
The company’s vice president, Brad Tutunjian, defended its response, citing the complexity of the restoration process and the fact that most of the 12,000 workers it brought in to help with the recovery were not in the Houston area when the storm arrived. He also acknowledged that restoring power knocked out by fallen trees and branches has been a major challenge. “When we have storms such as this, with the tree completely coming down…taking out our lines and our poles, that’s where all the time comes in to do the restoration work,” he said.
However, city council members pressed CenterPoint Energy on why it has not been more aggressive in trimming trees during calm weather or putting more of its power lines underground. The company has been putting new lines underground in residential areas for decades, Tutunjian responded.
The prolonged power outage has also highlighted concerns about life safety, with some residents receiving texts about downed power lines that caught fire, resulting in a house burning down. City Council member Abbie Kamin called the situation a “life safety concern,” and residents are growing increasingly frustrated with the utility company’s response.
This is not the first time Houston has faced widespread power outages. In 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall as a Category 2 storm, causing power outages that lasted for over a week. In 2021, the city was hit hard by a winter storm that brought plunging temperatures, snow, and ice, causing widespread power outages. As the heatwave persists, residents are demanding better preparation and quicker restoration of power from CenterPoint Energy.
Residents who have lived through many storms, such as Sharon Carr and Raquel Desimone, are finding it difficult to cope with the prolonged power outage. Desimone, who has lived in the area since 2000 and has experienced many storms, was surprised that the infrastructure could not handle a basic storm, leaving her to scramble for power and shelter once again. “I went through Rita, Ike, Imelda, and Harvey. That the infrastructure can’t handle a basic storm, leaving for a Category 1, (it) is sort of crazy to me that I’m having to do this,” she said. As the power outage continues, residents are calling on CenterPoint Energy to do better and provide timely relief from the heat.
