HOUSTON – As we enter the fifth day since Hurricane Beryl swept through southeast Texas, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo expects to share additional information on relief efforts for thousands of residents still without power.
The county judge held a press conference Friday at 11:30 a.m. at Houston Transtar to share updates on recovery efforts. She noted that with the amount of debris left behind by the storm, they simply do not have enough people to remove all the debris.
That’s why she urged residents to assist by removing and collecting branches to help facilitate the cleanup process.
“You can help us with the debris removal and with the removal of those down trees that are cutting through people’s homes this very moment,” she explained. “We just simply do not have enough volunteers and enough trained people right now to be able to do that to the number and breadth of the impact.”
Her remarks came after CenterPoint Energy restored power to more than 1 million customers, but more than 800,000 still remain in the dark.
In a press release shared Thursday night, the energy giant stated it expects to have 80% of substantially impacted customers’ power restored by Sunday.
Judge Hidalgo also would be speaking a day after Lt. Governor Dan Patrick held a press conference in Houston, accusing her of rejecting assistance from the state ahead of Beryl making landfall.
“We have not had one request from the County Judge of Harris County,” he said Thursday. “So I guess all of her citizens are fine in the unincorporated Harris County - but if she did, we’re here to fulfill it.”
It also comes during a time when tensions are mounting and patience is wearing thin for customers wondering when their lights will be back on. Rumors and accusations have been also widely circulated with some folks wondering what is taking so long or if they spot CenterPoint Energy workers sitting idly.
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.