Millions without power in Texas as remnants of Hurricane Beryl cause continued flooding

NEWS WIRES
·2-min read

Excessive heat has already returned to Texas less than two days after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power for millions of people, making the recovery process even harder. Meanwhile remnants of the storm are moving north, leaving flooding rain in their path. At least eight people have been killed by the storm.

The return of soaring heat in Houston on Tuesday deepened the misery for millions of people still without power after Hurricane Beryl crashed into Texas and left residents in search of places to cool off and fuel up as the extended outages strained one of the nation’s largest cities.

Frustration mounted that Houston appeared to buckle under a storm less powerful than previous ones. State officials faced questions over whether Houston’s power utility had sufficiently prepared, including one who said he would withhold judgement until after the lights are back on.

Hospitals also started to feel the pinch: Nearly 36 hours after Beryl made landfall, Texas’ lieutenant governor said a sports and event complex would be used to temporarily hold up to 250 patients who are awaiting discharge but cannot be released to homes with no power.

People coped as best they could.

“We can handle it, but not the kids,” said Walter Perez, 49, as he arrived early Tuesday at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's megachurch in Houston, which served as a cooling center and distributed 40-bottle packs of water.

Perez said his family — including his wife, a 3-year-old son, a 3-week-old daughter and his father-in-law — retreated from their apartment after a night he described as “bad, bad, bad, bad."

(AP)


Read more on FRANCE 24 English

Read also:
Several people dead, millions without power as Tropical Storm Beryl makes landfall in Texas
Texas coast prepares for potential hit by Beryl, expected to regain hurricane strength
Hurricane Beryl makes landfall on Mexican coast near top tourist resorts

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