Power starts to return to some homes, but millions still in dark after Hurricane Beryl

Power is returning to some of the millions of homes and businesses that were left in the dark after Hurricane Beryl hit the Houston area as a Category 1 storm and knocked out electricity. 

The storm claimed several lives with sustained winds reaching 74 mph with gusts up to 87 mph.

After landfall, Beryl was later downgraded to a tropical depression.

Despite weakening, it could still cause more damage, flash flooding and suspected tornadoes as it moves into the Midwest.

In Texas, 2.3 million people lost power, with additional outages in Louisiana and Arkansas. Houston’s main airport saw over 1,100 flight cancellations. CenterPoint Energy, which experienced the brunt of the outages, aims to restore power to one million customers by Wednesday.

However, in the coastal city of Galveston, officials estimate it could be two weeks before electricity is fully restored.

President Joe Biden granted a federal emergency disaster declaration for Texas. Acting Governor of the state, Don Patrick, announced that this declaration will expedite recovery and ensure safety.

Rising heat exacerbates challenges
The heat index in Houston surpassed 100 degrees on Tuesday, creating dangerous situations and risks for those without power.

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport reported a heat index of 103 degrees. Air temperatures in the region will climb into the 90s through at least early next week.