Lines are long at gas stations in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is asking people not to panic and not to hoard gasoline.
“We can handle this. . .so just don’t panic and be courteous,” Judge Hidalgo said. “Only take what you need. . .be thoughtful about the fact that hundreds of thousands of families are facing the same issues,” she said, explaining the county can’t control when gas stations that can’t operate will get their power back.
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Hidalgo said she recognized getting power restored is the most urgent need.
She said 1.29 million people in Harris County were without power at noon Tuesday, down from 1.69 million last night.
County emergency management leaders said they’ve reached out to President Biden to get the process started for federal help.
They also said Harris County was the hardest hit county in Texas from Hurricane Beryl.
RELATED: No timeline by CenterPoint Energy on when the other 1 million customers will have power restored
Key takeaways from the Tuesday afternoon briefing
No water rescues overnight by Harris County first responders
14 cooling centers open
Call 211 if you need help if you can’t tolerate the heat or need transportation to a cooling center
NRG Stadium has damage from Hurricane Beryl
RELATED: Houston-area restaurants OPEN for business after Hurricane Beryl