Houston residents without power were getting back to normal when a moving truck knocked down power lines a second time

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A group of townhouses in Houston’s Museum District is facing a second round of power outages, but this time it’s not due to weather.

Barkdull Street residents told ABC13 that a week after the lights came back on, a moving company knocked them out again.

“The wire was caught on top of the truck and then wrapped under the hitch area of ​​the truck,” said Wayne Thompson, who lives nearby.

Thompson took a video with his cellphone showing the mangled mess and broken power pole caused by the accident.

The 18-wheeler belongs to Bravo Moving Company. A spokesperson told ABC13 their driver got stuck in low-lying power lines.

As a result, some residents returned to where they were when Beryl struck – in the dark.

“It’s frustrating because we thought everything was back to normal, back to business as usual, everyone had brought their pets inside and started buying groceries again, and then this happens, and we have no power,” said Jenni Koetting.

ABC13 spotted CenterPoint installing a new power pole, but Koetting said they have not restored power. CenterPoint says the disconnection would be beyond what they are responsible for.

Koetting was told she would have to pay an electrician to fix it.

“Whatever happens on this side of the pole, even if these lines are too low, is our responsibility,” Koetting said.

It’s a problem many Houston residents are facing after the storm: power outages that unknowingly damage the infrastructure in their homes.

“We expected that all of this would be restored by CenterPoint or the moving company,” Koetting said.

Koetting said he knows of three other people on his street who are without power.

An electrician has already been out and told them the repairs will likely cost more than $1,000 per house. Once those repairs are done, CenterPoint can take care of the rest.

“We’ll come back at their signal, and they’ll come back to restore our power,” Koetting said, adding that she fears her and her neighbors’ spots in that line will likely be at the end. “All of the neighbors who are out have pets. We’re concerned that it could be a dangerous situation for the pets if they’re inside, as well as for ourselves if it gets too hot.”

The moving company said its truck suffered significant damage, for which it hopes to file an insurance claim. But it says its driver was not at fault in the situation, given the tight clearance from the lines.

Koetting said his home insurance representatives told him they didn’t cover “electricity.”

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