Texans face days-long deadly heat wave without power
More than a week after Hurricane Beryl swept through Texas and left millions without power, nearly 60,000 people in the state still do not have electricity. The issue is more than an inconvenience, as many in the state have faced a deadly days-long heat wave that claimed its latest victim on Tuesday. Local news reported […]
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More than a week after Hurricane Beryl swept through Texas and left millions without power, nearly 60,000 people in the state still do not have electricity.
The issue is more than an inconvenience, as many in the state have faced a deadly days-long heat wave that claimed its latest victim on Tuesday.
Local news reported that a woman was found dead in her apartment after spending the last eight days in her home without electricity and air conditioning. The heat index in Houston had climbed to 110F (43F) the day her body was discovered.
With the power issue lingering and more than a dozen deaths now linked to the heat, frustrations in Houston have started to boil over – particularly as the forecasts for the coming days warn of high temperatures.
Armed residents living without electricity have reportedly harrassed and threatened workers from CenterPoint Energy, the local energy provider, who have been sent out to restore power.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement saying that CentrePoint Energy “has lost the faith and trust of Texans”.
He issued a July 31 deadline for the company to respond to questions about what went wrong and what can be done to mitigate hurricane damage to the electric grid.
On Monday, Lynnae Wilson, a senior CenterPoint vice president told USA Today: “We know the remaining customers are counting on us and are committed to restoring power to all remaining customers able to receive it.”
Texas officials have reported 18 deaths related to Hurricane Beryl. In the Houston area, several were due to heat exposure after losing power, the Associated Press reported, citing the Harris County medical examiner’s office.
The electricity at Emily Schkud’s home, who lives on the north side of Houston with her husband and two children, was finally restored on Tuesday evening.
“It just is quite shocking,” Mrs Schkud told BBC News.
“You would think we’re in a third-world country, to be out of power for nine days.”
Mrs Schkud considers herself “lucky” that she survived Hurricane Beryl’s deadly blow on 8 July.
But life without power was difficult and forced her to live “day-by-day”, Mrs Schkud said. She stayed at a neighbour’s home and in hotels as she waited for word that power would be restored.
“It was very concerning and extremely stressful,” she said, as she felt that her main role as a parent was to ensure her children “are safe and have access to food and water”.
Between the hotels and eating out every meal, she estimated the cost her family incurred could be as high as $10,000 (£7,689).
At its worst, nearly three million people in Texas were without power after Beryl struck, most of them in the Houston area.
Lingering power outages mixed with high temperatures caused a strain on local hospitals that soon became overflowed.
Churches and libraries were converted into cooling centres. Houston’s football stadium became a “transitional facility” for hospitals at capacity.
Roughly 150 “seasonal relief” spaces were open in the Houston area on Wednesday, as hot summer temperatures show no signs of cooling.
Temperatures in the area are supposed to remain high through the weekend, peaking at or above 90F (32C).
Climate scientists say that average daily temperatures globally have increased, making hotter days more likely and more intense.
The cause is often linked to human-led climate change.
Dozens of deaths related to the heat have been reported in the US in the past two weeks, including in states like Oregon that are known for their mild climates. (BBC News)
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