HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo provided an update Sunday after Thursday’s deadly and damaging storms.
Hidalgo said for half the county, Sunday is just like any other day. Stores are open and power is on. For the other half, those affected by the storms are still experiencing the aftermath.
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“It’s really reminiscent of a hurricane or some of the worst tragedies that come from Mother Nature,” she said.
Hidalgo said as of 10 a.m. Sunday, over half a million customers have had their power restored. Fewer than 350,000 customers in the region remain without power.
Hidalgo said according to CenterPoint, storm-related restorations are anticipated to be substantially completed by the end of Wednesday. For those who don’t have power by the end of Wednesday, Hidalgo said they recommend you call an electrician to see if any damage was done on your end to your electrical equipment.
Hidalgo said Harris County government offices will be open on Monday, however, some buildings still without power will not be operational. She said they will be updating ReadyHarris.org with all the information regarding those buildings.
In addition, Hidalgo said following President Biden’s Disaster Declaration, aid will be available to those impacted by both the floods a few weeks ago as well as the wind damage received from Thursday’s storms.
For those impacted by either disaster, Hidalgo said you can apply for both FEMA aid and small business assistance.
To do that, you can either go to ReadyHarris.org or directly on the FEMA or SBA websites.
Officials are also warning of people who may try to take advantage of those impacted and defraud them.
Hidalgo said once you apply for FEMA aid, inspectors wearing a FEMA shirt and official badges will come out to the area to inspect the damage.
If you want to confirm that anyone who shows up at your home works for FEMA, you can call 346-354-7459.
ReadyHarris.org will also have a place to report anyone suspected of trying to defraud those impacted by damage.
Officials are concerned about the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning as they have received an influx of calls regarding that.
They say to keep generators away from openings to your home to help prevent any incidents from occurring.