Houston Left Boiling as Power Outage Dragged On Days After Hurricane
More than one million Houston residents remain without power three days after Hurricane Beryl swept through. Temperatures are soaring above 100°F, leaving people sweltering in the heat with no air conditioning. Furious locals are lashing out at CentrePoint Energy, the electric utility blamed for the prolonged outage.
Hurricane Didn’t Knock Out Grid—But Power Still Down
Despite Hurricane Beryl being only a Category 1 storm and causing no direct damage to the electrical grid, CentrePoint’s failure has plunged over a million customers into darkness. The blackout is now entering its fourth day.
Tragically, several deaths have been linked to the outage. At least two people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after using generators indoors—a deadly risk warned repeatedly by authorities.
“This is a failure by CentrePoint. It appears they were not as prepared as they should have been and not ready to go as quickly as they could have been. Get the power back on. We’ll talk about what happened before the storm later,” said Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick during a press conference. He promised an official state investigation into the utility.
Local Leaders Slam CentrePoint Energy
Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia tore into CentrePoint on social media, tweeting: “Living without electricity isn’t just inconvenient—it’s dangerous. @CenterPoint, your failure during this crisis is unacceptable. Texans deserve reliable power, especially after natural disasters. This isn’t just poor service; it’s a risk to our lives.”
CentrePoint officials now admit the issue is due to damaged and downed power lines, not the grid itself. While 1.7 million customers have had power restored, over a million remain in the dark.
Community Rallies as Hospitals Struggle and Relief Efforts Kick In
Local businessman Mattress Mack has turned his furniture store into a haven, offering food and phone charging stations for desperate residents. “People can’t live without electricity,” he pleaded online, calling on CentrePoint and officials to fix the crisis.
Hospitals in Harris County are under strain, with 12 on ‘internal disaster’ status. Field hospitals have been set up at NRG Stadium, home to the Houston Texans, to treat 911 patients without power. Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church has opened as a cooling centre, providing much-needed air conditioning.
Complications continue as CentrePoint’s outage map went offline Monday, leaving residents blind to progress on repairs. A temporary online map has been criticized for inaccuracies, intensifying residents’ frustration.
Frustration Grows Amid Scorching Heat and Slow Repairs
With a heatwave baking the region, anger is boiling over. Although CentrePoint claims 11,500 linemen were on alert before the storm, many trucks and crews sat idle. One lineman told KHOU he waited hours before finally heading out to begin repairs.
The outage has become a crisis of confidence in CentrePoint’s ability to respond—residents demand immediate action as temperatures climb and the blackout drags on.
