As the Houston area works to clean up and restore power, residents are facing additional challenges posed by extreme heat and poor air quality. The National Weather Service has issued a smog warning and predicts high temperatures of around 90 degrees (32.2 C) through the start of the coming week, with heat indexes likely approaching 100 degrees (38 C) by midweek. The Houston Health Department is urging residents to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses and has distributed 400 free portable air conditioners to vulnerable populations. Five cooling centers have also been opened in the area.
In addition to the heat, the Houston area is experiencing poor air quality. The heavy rainfall on Saturday brought the potential for flooding in eastern Louisiana and central Alabama. The widespread destruction of Thursday’s storms brought much of Houston to a standstill. Thunderstorms and hurricane-force winds tore through the city, leaving trees, debris, and shattered glass on the streets. A tornado also touched down near the northwest Houston suburb of Cypress. More than a half-million homes and businesses in Texas remained without electricity by midday Saturday. CenterPoint Energy, the utility company serving Houston, has deployed 1,000 employees to the area and is requesting 5,000 more. The company warns that power restoration could take several days or longer in some areas.
The storm caught many residents off guard, and officials are urging caution during the cleanup process. Houston Mayor John Whitmire warns that police are out in force, including state troopers sent to the area to prevent looting. Noelle Delgado, executive director of Houston Pets Alive, described the storm as “terrifying” and said she found the animal rescue building damaged but the animals uninjured.
In light of the storm damage, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Mayor Whitmire have both signed disaster declarations, paving the way for state and federal storm recovery assistance. President Joe Biden has also issued a disaster declaration, making federal funding available to people in seven Texas counties affected by the storms since April 26.
