SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS — Hundreds of thousands of residents in southeastern Texas remain without power a week after Hurricane Beryl caused widespread devastation. According to PowerOutage.us, approximately 288,000 energy customers were still in the dark on Monday morning, leaving many without air conditioning as a persistent heat wave pushes temperatures up to 93 degrees Fahrenheit.

More than 119 million people across the United States were under extreme heat warnings on Monday, with the National Weather Service forecasting temperatures of 100 degrees or higher in the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast. The ongoing heat wave exacerbates the hardships faced by those without power, making the situation even more dire.

CenterPoint Energy, the primary electricity supplier in greater Houston, reported that it had reconnected nearly 2 million customers, about 90% of those affected, since Beryl brought down numerous power lines and caused trees to crash into homes. However, significant work remains to restore power to the remaining affected customers.

At a news conference on Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott demanded that CenterPoint Energy explain how it plans to improve its hurricane preparation strategies by the end of the month. “The failure of power companies to provide power to their customers is completely unacceptable,” Abbott stated. He emphasized that the state's first priority is to preserve life and that the lack of power is a "life-based issue."

Abbott has given CenterPoint Energy until July 31 to provide his office with "specific actions to address power outages and reduce the possibility that power will be lost during a severe weather event." This includes details on how the company plans to remove vegetation that threatens power lines. Abbott warned that failure to provide an adequate plan could result in an executive order aimed at ensuring a reliable power supply.

Furthermore, Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas to launch an investigation into the prolonged power outages. “It is unacceptable that millions of Texans in the Greater Houston area have been left without electricity for multiple days,” he wrote. “It is imperative we investigate how and why some Texas utilities were unable to restore power for days following a Category 1 hurricane.”

In response, CenterPoint Energy issued a statement asserting that its top priority is restoring power to the remaining impacted customers as safely and quickly as possible. The company highlighted that its crews worked around the clock over the weekend to restore connections, focusing on areas with significant structural damage. CenterPoint acknowledged customers' frustrations and noted that initial forecasts predicted Beryl would miss Houston, prompting the deployment of 3,000 staff members to respond to any damage once the forecast changed.

On Saturday, Governor Abbott added 17 counties to a Federal Emergency Management Agency individual assistance program, enabling residents whose homes or businesses have been damaged to apply for financial help. This assistance aims to alleviate some of the burdens faced by those affected by the hurricane.

Tragically, eight people in Harris County, which includes Houston, have been confirmed dead as a direct result of Hurricane Beryl, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. This loss of life underscores the severe impact of the hurricane and the urgent need for effective disaster response and recovery efforts.