GALVESTON COUNTY – Residents who live on Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County had to spend Christmas Day without power.
“This was a very tough Christmas for some people down here,” resident Jamie Wilson said.
Around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Entergy Texas restored the power, but many residents have concerns about the state’s power grid.
Residents say the past 48 hours have been a nightmare. A lot of families stayed at hotels, they couldn’t cook, and some left their pets behind.
“This has been a real hardship for a lot of people even those with generators,” said Wilson who lives on Crystal Beach. She says she spent more than 40 hours without power.
“We huddled around the space heaters, but my family had to leave. We were not able to do Christmas cookies like we do every year. We didn’t have a Christmas dinner,” she said.
She says the community jumped in to help with her generator, but others like Kevin Turner were not so fortunate.
“I stayed in a motel Friday night as well as last night,” he said.
President and CEO of Entergy Texas Eliecer Viamontes says the Arctic blast and strong winds caused customers to lose power.
“The cold temperatures increased the usage as well and that tends to stress the equipment,” Viamontes said.
Viamontes says crews worked around the clock to restore the power.
“We understand the inconvenience. It’s Christmas and our hearts go out to those customers that were looking to spend Christmas differently than what they are right now,” he said.
Although residents are relieved the lights are back on, they expressed their concerns about Entergy and the state’s power grid.
“Not only behind the accuracy of Entergy but the power structures they have in place. Can it support what we have currently right now, and can it support the growth that we are experiencing and for the near future. I don’t think that it can. I don’t think the community has a lot of faith in it either,” Turner said.
Entergy posted on its website that they’ve “learned to be ready for anything” and detailed how they have prepared for wintry weather. You can read that plus get the company’s advice to consumers on preparations and energy conservation here.