Millions of Texans Endure Scorching Heat as Hurricane Beryl Leaves Them Powerless

Restoring power to millions of Texans affected by the deadly and destructive storm Beryl could take days or even weeks, posing a dangerous scenario for residents without air conditioning as triple-digit heat index temperatures hit the state.

Beryl slammed into southern Texas as a Category 1 hurricane Monday, knocking out power to more than 2.5 million homes and leaving at least eight people dead in Texas and Louisiana.

More than 2.1 million people throughout Texas were still without power Tuesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.

The storm unleashed flooding rains and winds that transformed roads into rushing rivers, ripped through power lines, and tossed trees onto homes, roads, and cars. It’s hurtling Tuesday toward the Midwest having lost strength and its core, but it still threatens to trigger more flooding and tornadoes along its path.

At a press conference Tuesday, state officials pleaded with residents not to drive on flooded roads.

As difficult recovery and cleanup efforts are underway in southeast Texas, including the Houston area, extreme heat is bearing down on the region Tuesday and will continue Wednesday, creating hazardous conditions for those working outdoors, the elderly, people with chronic medical conditions, children, and those without adequate cooling.

The heat index in Houston passed 100 degrees on Tuesday, according to a local weather observation station. The heat index measures how the body feels under both heat and humidity. The station at Hobby International Airport reported a heat index of 103 degrees. Air temperatures across the region are expected to climb into the mid-90s throughout the day and Wednesday.

When a person is unable to cool their body down amid prolonged heat, they are at risk for damage to the brain and other vital organs, as well as other heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and stroke.

“The lack of proper cooling combined with many people outdoors cleaning up after Beryl could produce dangerous heat conditions,” the National Weather Service in Houston said. Heat is the deadliest form of extreme weather in the US, killing more than twice as many people each year as hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

Restoring power to hard-hit communities will be a multi-day undertaking, according to Thomas Gleeson, the chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. And in the coastal city of Galveston, city officials have estimated it could be as many as two weeks before electricity is restored.