Houston faces long recovery amid smog warning, heat wave after devastating storms

Houston is grappling with the aftermath of a severe storm that hit Thursday, causing widespread destruction and leaving residents facing additional challenges over the weekend. The region is under a smog warning and temperatures are expected to reach around 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 Celsius), according to the Associated Press. The National Weather Service warned residents to be wary of heat exhaustion during cleanup efforts.

The storm produced winds of up to 100 mph (161 km/h) and spawned a tornado near Cypress, a northwest suburb. The Associated Press reports that more than 555,000 homes and businesses were still without power Friday evening, although that was an improvement from the nearly 1 million outages initially reported. The storm left at least four people dead in Harris County.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor John Whitmire addressed the community at a joint news conference Friday, Click2Houston reported. Hidalgo stressed the severity of the damage to electrical infrastructure, saying: “We are going to have to talk about this disaster in weeks, not days.” Mayor Whitmire assured residents that law enforcement was on high alert to prevent looting, emphasizing the need to keep the community safe and be patient during the rebuilding process.

To support residents, the Houston Health Department is distributing 400 free portable air conditioners to seniors, people with disabilities and people who care for children with disabilities, as reported by the Associated Press. The storm caused significant disruptions, including the cancellation of classes for more than 400,000 students and the closure of many government offices.

President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration for seven Texas counties, including Harris, facilitating federal aid for recovery efforts. This follows Mayor Whitmire’s local disaster declaration, which aims to expedite state and federal aid.

Houston Pets Alive Executive Director Noelle Delgado described the storm’s impact on their facility. Although the animals were unharmed, the building suffered considerable damage. “I could definitely tell this storm was a little different,” Delgado said, as she now searches for foster homes for displaced animals, according to the Associated Press.

Yesenia Guzmán, a restaurant worker in the Houston suburb of Katy, expressed concerns about her job security amid ongoing power outages. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen,” she told The Associated Press, reflecting the uncertainty many residents are experiencing.

CenterPoint Energy faces a daunting task restoring power due to extensive damage to transmission and distribution systems. Alexandria von Meier, an electricity and energy expert, told The Associated Press that such simultaneous damage is rare and presents significant challenges. CenterPoint Energy deployed 1,000 employees and requested 5,000 additional workers to help with repairs.

In response to the crisis, several resource centers were established in Houston to provide essential supplies like ice and water. Click2Houston detailed the locations and hours of these centers, which are set up in the hardest-hit areas and operate on a drive-thru basis to ensure accessibility.