Impact of Hurricane Beryl Felt Weeks Later

Source: An electrical worker inspects a power line after Hurricane Beryl, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Conroe. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Houston — Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas two weeks ago today, and despite the passage of time many are still feeling the effects of the storm. Around 500 people are still without power long after the storm has passed, according to KVUE .

About 2.7 million customers lost power during the storm – hundreds of thousands went without it for over a week – as a heat wave hit the city, creating dangerous situations for many without an escape from high temperatures. As of Monday morning, Beryl-related death toll climbed to 23 people in Texas, many of which are due to heat-related illnesses.

Nearly half of the deaths in Harris County have been attributed to heat exposure, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Experts believe the number of deaths will continue to rise as cleanup is ongoing. Lara Anton , a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services believes they won’t have a preliminary count until the end of July.

Related: 3 in 10 Houstonians Considering Houston Exit

Related: SNAP Recipients Can Apply for Replacement Benefits for Food Lost from Beryl

The slow response to getting power restored has put the area’s electric provider, CenterPoint Energy, at the center of many people’s frustrations after the storm. Two class-action lawsuits were filed against the company last week; both seeking upwards of $100 million each.

Attorney Tony Buzbee is representing dozens of Houston-area restaurants in a suit filed on July 15, over power outages that kept their doors closed for multiple days. Attorney Michael Fertitta , son of Tilman Fertitta, is representing three Houston-area residents in a suit filed on Wednesday.

CenterPoint is also facing scrutiny from Govenor Greg Abbott , while being investigated by the Public Utility Committee of Texas.

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