Houstonians are sleeping in cars amid power outages after Hurricane Beryl

HOUSTON, Texas — As the heatwave continues, Houston residents are… It supplies power to local utility CenterPoint Energy, which has come under scrutiny for its slow response. Hurricane Beryl Landed on the Gulf Coast of Texas Earlier this week.

More than 800,000 customers remained No Power Power outages and electricity were down as of Friday afternoon, more than four days after the hurricane flooded roads, sent temperatures soaring to nearly 30 degrees Fahrenheit and left more than 2 million people without air conditioning.

“It’s ridiculous, we’re sleeping in a hot room,” said Houston resident Ruth Gonzalez, who takes cold showers to get to sleep at night.

She blames power companies and storms for this week’s disruptions.

“What are you going to do? How are you going to compensate us for everything we’ve lost?” she asked CenterPoint, referring to the $600 worth of food that has been discarded since the storm.

Gonzalez and her fiancé, Guy Vasquez, 56, pawned their diamond wedding rings this week just to save up for gas and food.

“We have to do what we have to do to keep them fat and full,” Vasquez said of the three grandchildren she is raising.

The storm is believed to have killed at least 11 people in the United States and nine in the Caribbean, with at least three killed in the Houston metropolitan area, weather officials said.

Despite the public outrage, CenterPoint’s senior vice president of operations, Darin Carroll, said: He told NBC News this week Power companies were preparing for the storm and had called in crews from outside Houston to mobilize as soon as the storm passed.

“We understand what it’s like to live in Texas in July and not have power,” he said in an interview, adding that the company had restored power to about 1 million homes the fastest in its history.

CenterPoint Energy said in a news release Thursday that more than 80% of affected customers should have power back by Sunday.

But in some areas Major structural damage Prolonged outages are possible while crews install thousands of new utility poles and overhead conductors needed to transport electrical energy.

Carroll said the storm “hit hard across our service area,” with fallen trees downing power lines across the city.

“In many cases, we have to clear the entire tree before we can repair it, not just the branches,” he said.

I want the repairs to come quickly. Rosa M. Zelaya, 53, of Humble, Texas, a suburb of Houston, has been without power since the storm made landfall on Monday.

She said she had been sleeping in her truck with her two children for the past few nights.

“It’s the worst because there’s nothing. I need food and water,” said Zelaya, sweat soaking through her blue dress Friday morning. It was about 85 degrees outside at the time, but she spent most of the morning indoors where it was much hotter. “At least the truck has air in it.”

Ronald Thompson, 61, of northeast Houston, said air conditioning and an air mattress made his stay at the church relaxing.

He also claims that CenterPoint should be held responsible for his living conditions.

“I need to get better because I get my bill at the end of the month,” Thompson said. “I can’t go home.”

Tensions have been rising throughout the week: On Wednesday, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a man threatening to shoot CenterPoint employees.

According to officers, the man told the workers, “Hurry up and do your job or I’ll shoot at your truck.”

Deputies took the man into custody on suspicion of terroristic threats and deadly assault.

Someone then spray-painted the words “CENTERPOINTLESS” on a concrete wall along Interstate 10. NBC affiliates KPRC-TV in Houston.

Acting Gov. Dan Patrick said at a press conference this week that Gov. Greg Abbott has called for an investigation into CenterPoint’s response to the storm, the outcome of which will be determined by the Public Utilities Commission.

Dangerously hot weather this week has led to an increase in emergency calls and visits due to heatstroke, with some local hospitals relying on generators.

The storm also took a toll on the health of Vazquez, who sold her engagement ring. She wears a pacemaker and has respiratory concerns.

“When I’m in my room in the house, I can’t breathe,” he said.

He was one of hundreds of people lined up in their cars Friday at a Walmart near downtown for ice, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and other food.

The hot meals were provided by Tyson Foods, which planned to provide 5,000 meals per day over the next few days.

But the distribution of meals did not come without controversy.

Cleveland Jackson, who uses a wheelchair, said he was denied food because he wasn’t sitting in his car when he ordered it.

“They wouldn’t let me walk up and get food,” said Jackson, 58, who lives in southeast Houston. “I felt unwelcome, I felt like I didn’t matter.” Several others said they had similar experiences.

Tyson Foods spokeswoman Kate Powell said the company initially thought Jackson had been given a plate but later realized he hadn’t and offered him one.

In some parts of Houston, life is The weather continued as usual. Many people went to work. The streets were congested and grocery stores were crowded, despite the storm.

But the impact of the hurricane on local residents cannot be underestimated. Those who could afford it sought refuge in hotel rooms until the damage subsided, while those who couldn’t afford it had no choice but to sleep in their cars or stuffy homes.

Michael Stavinoha, 40, a real estate developer who lives part-time in Houston, said he has spent about $1,500 on hotel stays since the storm hit and will likely continue to pay for more because power at his home may not be restored until next week.

“The cheapest hotels I’ve stayed at are $350 a night,” he says. “They’re all expensive and fully booked, so it’s hard to find a place to stay.”

Jessica Shaw, 35, of northwest Houston, wasn’t so lucky.

Tired of sleeping in her apartment in the “unbearable heat,” she reluctantly spent Wednesday night in her car with her three children.

“I had the air conditioning on, but it was pitch black outside and it was a safety hazard, so I didn’t get much sleep,” said Shaw, whose electricity was briefly restored to her home on Thursday but was out again on Friday.

Holidaymakers passing through the town also incurred Beryl’s wrath.

Martin Castro Munoch was en route from Louisville, Kentucky, to Veracruz, Mexico, on Sunday when his connecting flight in Houston was delayed by three minutes and he managed to reschedule for Monday, but wasn’t able to make it before the hurricane hit.

He pays $100 a night in cash to stay in a hotel where he can’t access the computer systems. “Everything that could go wrong has happened,” said Munock, 39. “It’s just an inconvenience.”

Robert Perez was sitting on a milk carton under a large tree Thursday evening trying to cool off, but he said he felt helpless, having to rely on CenterPoint to restore power to his apartment.

While it’s hot outside, Perez said it’s preferable to the sweltering heat inside his apartment. “I don’t understand why people don’t fix this,” Perez, who lives in southwest Houston, said of his frustration with the power company.

And some just couldn’t wait for the nightmare to end.

“We’re not doing anything except waiting for the power to come back,” said Zelaya, who is trying any way to escape the heat.