Millions of Texans are under excessive heat warnings as cities across the state continue to shatter temperature records. In Austin, the heat index soared to 107 degrees Farenheit on the hottest day of the year, and a power outage left more than 7,000 residents without electricity. Though the blackout lasted a few hours, it underscored growing concerns about the reliability of the power grid as the state braces for yet another historically hot summer.
The outage was concentrated in East Austin, a historically Black and Latino neighborhood, and lasted around four hours. According to Mayor Kirk Watson, the cause was "high energy usage."
