Beryl leaves millions of Texans without power as dangerous heat descends on the region
It could take days or even weeks to restore power to the millions of Texans affected by the deadly and devastating Hurricane Beryl, creating a dangerous situation for residents without air conditioning as the state heats up.
Beryl slammed into South Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, leaving more than 2.5 million homes without power and causing at least 8 deaths in Texas and Louisiana.
The storm, now a tropical depression, unleashed rain and winds that turned roads into raging rivers, downed power lines and tossed trees onto homes, roads and cars. As it moves toward the Midwest on Tuesday, it threatens to trigger more flooding and tornadoes along its path.
As difficult recovery and cleanup efforts continue in Southeast Texas, including the Houston area, intense heat will hit the region Tuesday and Wednesday, creating dangerous conditions for those working outside or who lack adequate cooling.
A heat advisory is in effect for Tuesday in southeast Texas, where heat indices — a measure of how the body feels in heat and humidity — could reach 40 degrees Celsius, while a high temperature of 32 degrees Celsius is forecast across the region.
“Many people cleaning up outside after the beryl and lack of adequate cooling could create dangerous heat conditions,” the National Weather Service in Houston said. Heat is the worst extreme weather event in the United States, killing twice as many people each year as hurricanes and tornadoes combined.
According to Thomas Gleason, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas, it will take several days to restore power to hard-hit communities. In the coastal city of Galveston, city officials estimated it could take up to two weeks to restore power.
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