According to the outage tracking website PowerOutage.us, as of the morning of July 14, more than 1 million customers in Texas were still without power. The extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 100°F (38°C), made the situation even more difficult.
Hurricane Beryl has left a terrible mark on the state of Texas, USA. The power grid was severely damaged, leaving millions of people without electricity and facing severe heat.
Hurricane Beryl has caused significant damage to transmission lines, downed trees and electrical infrastructure in Texas. As a result, more than 1.5 million customers lost power, many of whom are still struggling to survive and cope with the sweltering heat without air conditioning.
Storm Berly made landfall, causing heavy damage to people
Texas's power provider is working to restore power, but progress is slow due to the extent of the damage. It is expected to take days for all Texans to have power restored.
The power outages and intense heat have caused hardship for Texans, especially the elderly, children and those with underlying health conditions. Many have turned to shopping centers to escape the heat and have backup power.
Prolonged power outage, people cannot adapt in time
Some gas stations in Houston, Texas' largest city, have been shut down due to power outages, forcing people to wait in long lines at the gas stations that remain open. In addition, heavy rains and humid conditions have caused black mold to grow in many homes. Nonprofits are working to help residents remove moldy drywall and repair their homes.
The US has two major power grids, serving the East and West. Each grid connects to a different source of power, so if one state experiences a power outage, the system will redirect power from elsewhere. However, Texas is the only state in the US that has its own grid and is not connected to the national system, which creates many problems.
This incident once again shows the importance of improving infrastructure and emergency response systems to cope with increasingly severe natural disasters.
