News @lemmy.world girlfreddy @lemmy.ca 4mo ago

Heat-related Texas deaths climb after Beryl left millions without power for days or longer

apnews.com Heat-related Texas deaths climb after Beryl left millions without power for days or longer

A rising number of heat-related deaths in Texas among residents who lost power during Hurricane Beryl has pushed the number of storm fatalities to at least 23.

Almost two weeks after Beryl hit, heat-related deaths during the prolonged power outages have pushed the number of storm-related fatalities to at least 23 in Texas.

The combination of searing summer heat and residents unable to power up air conditioning in the days after the Category 1 storm made landfall on July 8 resulted in increasingly dangerous conditions for some in America’s fourth-largest city.

Beryl knocked out electricity to nearly 3 million homes and businesses at the height of the outages, which lasted days or much longer, and hospitals reported a spike in heat-related illnesses.

Power finally was restored to most by last week, after over a week of widespread outages. The slow pace in the Houston area put the region’s electric provider, CenterPoint Energy, under mounting scrutiny over whether it was sufficiently prepared.

20 comments

one thing did not see in the article is what consequences CenterPoint Energy will face

if an average citizen on the street were on his 23rd killing don't think anyone would say they are under mounting scrutiny
- They should be taken over by the state completely and turned into a public utility with the purpose of reliably instead of profit. Being a heavily regulated private company is the worse of both worlds.
  
  They should be taken over by the state completely and turned into a public utility with the purpose of reliably instead of profit.
  
  This is in Texas. You've heard of Texas before, right?
  
  You obviously don't live in Texas, or are at least in the unfortunate minority.
- What consequences the STATE will face. The grid is owned and regulated by ERCOT, Center point and other energy companies are contracted to maintain and repair the grid but they don't own it.
- "this is fine"
- I dunno. A lot of Western nations seem to still have problems with male serial killers who target BIPOC and trans women, ie: the cops completely ignore the signs.
It's not storm related deaths, it's texan power grid neglect related deaths. For one of those you can prosrcute people in sane countries.
- Before I even looked at the story I was thinking "this is what happens when you decide you want to cut yourself off from the nation's power grid". This is what, the THIRD, serious incident they've had related to power?
  
  Third in the last year and a bit, yep
The voters of Texas will continue to vote for even more of the same.
- The people of Houston (the nations fourth largest city) who are served by CenterPoint Energy are largely democratic. Although you aren’t wrong.
  
  The people of Houston are. The people of the surrounding rural areas, who have actual voting power, are not.
Surprised Abbott hasn't suggested shipping those that can't handle the extreme heat conditions to other northern states with more moderate climates, seems to be a pro at moving people around
Is that beryl in the thumbnail?

What a cow

20 comments