NRG Stadium, damaged by Hurricane Beryl, has hot conditions in uncovered areas, fans should plan accordingly

HOUSTON – Temperature conditions at a portion of NRG Stadium seating remains a fluid situation while the home of the Texans is still in need of repair from damage caused by Hurricane Beryl that ripped off multiple panels on the roof during the Category 1 storm.

During the Texans’ home game last week against the New York Giants, fans in the uncovered area dealt with uncomfortable conditions due to the direct sunlight peeking through the uncovered portions of the roof despite the air conditioning in the facility. Some of those fans moved to other sections for relief.

The stadium, which is owned by Harris County, is expected to have the panels for the roof arrive and be installed by the fourth game of the regular season that will follow a nationally televised Sunday night season home opener against the Chicago Bears.

In football parlance, NRG Stadium is playing hurt and still on the injury report.

Carl Fulkerson and his wife have been season ticket holders since 2006. While they enjoy attending the games, they say they were uncomfortable at the Giants game in the uncovered sections below the missing panels.

“There is a large panel missing that allows the sun to directly shine down on the seats on the 100 level on the side of the visitor tunnel end zone,” Fulkerson wrote in an email to KPRC 2. “It stayed there the entire length of the game, and the only relief came when a cloud would cover it for a bit, which was far and few between. The longer I sat there the more discomfort I felt and eventually got to where I could not sit there anymore and moved to a place where there was shade.

“Luckily, it was preseason and there was seats available to move to. I’m afraid that during the season that will not be the case. My wife has an issue where she is not able to sweat like normal people and is affected by being in the heat for periods of times, where she will overheat easily. If the roof is not fixed, we will not be able to sit in our seats which is in section 134, row J. I really hope that the Texans organization is working to get this fixed before the season starts or I will be forced to not being able to use my seats due to the extreme heat situation.”

The Texans have advised fans about the situation in media interviews and released a time lapse video days before the New York game.

The good news: The high temperatures of 100 degrees from a week ago should be much cooler this week when the Texans host the Los Angeles Rams with a noon kickoff.

According to KPRC 2 meteorologist Caroline Brown, the forecast is below the heat advisory criteria. At 9 a.m., temperatures will be in the mid 80s and feel low the low 90s. By the end of the game, though, temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90s with a heat index between 100 degrees and 105 degrees.

Texans principal owner Cal McNair said at the start of training camp that the team expects the retractable roof to have the capability to be open or closed until NRG Stadium is fully repaired.

The damage wasn’t as significant as 2008 when Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm, damaged five panels.

“The studies on that are ongoing, and we’ll learn more as we kind of work through it,” McNair said. “There are several panels that were damaged. These things aren’t on your local shelf at the do-it-yourself Home Depot. Wonderful stores that are around. They’re special-ordered, specially-made, so it’ll take a while. We’re hopeful that we’ll get them about a month into the season.

“The studies are showing that we’ll be able to keep the roof closed or open. So, we’ll have the choice to do that. And then we have a couple of events coming up, or we’ll get to study and see, how the building is able to condition.”

NRG Stadium, the home of the Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, was seen with multiple missing panels from its retractable roof in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

“Like many of our neighbors in the Gulf Coast region, NRG Park sustained damage from Hurricane Beryl, including to the roof of NRG Stadium,” NRG Park CEO and executive director Ryan M. Walsh said in a statement at the time of the storm. “HCSCC officials are collaborating with state, county, and city officials to assist with recovery efforts throughout the region. This collective undertaking requires all of us to work together with a strong commitment to our community. While we assist with these efforts, we are also assessing the extent of damages to NRG Park facilities. We look forward to seeing our neighbors at NRG Park soon as we return to normal operations.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.