Houston residents frustrations mounting as power outage enters fifth day
HOUSTON - Frustration is mounting for some Houstonians as they face day five without power following the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Residents are demanding better communication from CenterPoint Energy, as the urgent need for electricity grows.
FOX 26 went out to the Briarwood subdivision in west Houston where the impact of the hurricane continues to be felt. One resident is dealing with the dual tragedy of her husband's death just hours before the hurricane and her home enduring damage from a fallen tree.
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"The owner of this home lost her husband 12 hours prior to this storm, so it's been an accumulation, and this was their paradise," said a neighbor, realizing the extent of the hardship faced.
This week has been described as "hell" by those affected — not just due to the sweltering heat, but because of the personal losses and damage experienced in the storm's wake.
In a display of community resilience, residents are pulling together to provide assistance where needed.
"This neighborhood has a lot of elderly people, and my husband, who is a young buck — I mean he is in his 40s — has come around every morning and night refilling generators, making sure people are alive," shared a local.
A pervasive sense of uncertainty remains as the community asks the same critical question that hundreds of thousands of Houstonians are asking: When will the power come back on?
David Brice, a west Houston resident, expresses the shared sentiment: "We realize it's a disaster; we're not being unrealistic. But if we knew how long we'd be down, we could make a lot of plans, contingency plans."
Adding to the complications is a nearby cemetery where fallen trees lie against power lines. In a statement to FOX 26, Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home and Cemetery, said the situation is now out of their hands.
"Trees on our property are leaning against power lines. CenterPoint, out of an abundance of caution, won’t allow us to move them. While we are willing to remove the trees ourselves, we have been advised not to do so. We empathize with our nearby neighbors who are currently without power."
Residents are aware that the cemetery is not responsible for the removal of the tree, but said it needs to get done before further tragedy occurs.
"Someone has got to come and clean this thing up and make it safe, because the last thing people are going to want to have happen is someone gets electrocuted out here," Brice said, emphasizing the dire need for a cleanup.
CenterPoint Energy is aiming to have 85% of the power restored by the end of the weekend.