760,000+ without power for six days

Southeast Texas is struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which has left more than 760,000 customers without power for six consecutive days. The power outage, along with the brutal heat, has resulted in a scramble for resources, with hospitals, assisted living facilities, schools and water treatment plants struggling to operate. The situation has drawn criticism from Houston's main utility provider, CenterPoint Energy, for its lack of preparation.

The electricity cut has had serious consequences, with residents suffering from the heat and the lack of food and water. Pregnant Houston resident Jordyn Rush expressed her distress, saying the intense heat and lack of food due to the power outage are taking a toll on her health. CenterPoint Energy has announced plans to restore power to an additional 350,000 customers by Sunday, but half a million Houston-area homes and businesses may remain without power until next week.

The situation has also led to an increase in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning as residents turn to generators to cool their homes. In Fort Bend County, a neighboring suburb of Houston, more than 41 people suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. In Harris County, at least two people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and fire departments have received more than 200 calls related to the problem in 24 hours.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency in Texas due to the combination of intense heat and limited access to electricity. Senior care facilities and residents who rely on electrical medical devices are especially at risk. A 71-year-old woman died after her oxygen machine ran out of battery and her generator shut down.

The crisis has also affected health care facilities, with more than a dozen Houston-area hospitals in a state of “internal disaster” and more than 40 dialysis clinics struggling with outages. Residents are also struggling to find food and water, with many shops closed and food banks struggling to distribute food to underserved areas.

The ongoing outages have refocused attention on the state's power grid, with Gov. Greg Abbott calling for an investigation into CenterPoint Energy and other power companies. CenterPoint Energy has defended its preparation for the storm, saying it had been tracking Beryl's path and preparing for its impact nine days before it made landfall. However, the company recognized the need for better communication with customers regarding the restoration of electricity.