The aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Texas has been devastating, with the death toll rising to at least 36 due to the prolonged power outages that left residents without air conditioning in sweltering heat. The medical examiner's office in Fort Bend County confirmed nine additional deaths, with four attributed to hyperthermia caused by extreme heat. In the Houston area, a dozen more residents succumbed to complications related to the heat and loss of power.
CenterPoint, the city's power utility, faced criticism for the delayed response in restoring electricity to nearly 3 million people affected by the outages. The CEO of CenterPoint issued an apology to customers and assured state regulators of the utility's commitment to better prepare for future storms. Governor Greg Abbott and lawmakers have demanded accountability from the utility for the prolonged power outages.
