Gracias por SEGUIRNOS, este artículo contiene la edición 1299 de la revista digital de HOUSTON de ¡Que Onda! Magazine.
Del 23 de mayo al 29 de mayo del 2024
Nearly 30,000 CenterPoint Energy customers still in the dark 1 week after deadly storm in Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Thursday marks one week since a deadly wind storm ripped through southeast Texas, and thousands of Houstonians are still without power.
CenterPoint Energy said 890,000 customers have had their power restored since the May 16 storm. That’s 97% of the customers impacted by power outages.
Still, as of Thursday morning, over 27,000 customers were in the dark, according to their Outage Tracker. CenterPoint previously said the deadline for most people to have their power restored was Wednesday night.
The company is calling the remaining outages “isolated instances in certain locations where there is substantial damage or where customers are unable to receive power.”
CenterPoint said it continues to have the workers and resources needed to address the remaining outages as quickly and safely as possible.
A timeline for the rest of the repairs was not provided.
CenterPoint’s Estimated Dates of Restoration interactive map shows that most of the remaining outages are in the Hunters Creek Village, Spring Branch, Inwood Forest, Trinity Gardens, Cypress, and Waller areas.
Amid the ongoing power outages, heat index values are exceeding 100 degrees. It’s possible we could go under a Heat Advisory this weekend, especially on Memorial Day, with a predicted high of 96 and a heat index of 111. If that heat index prediction verifies, it will be the hottest May heat index reading in Houston’s recorded history.
At least eight people were killed when the storm rolled through the Houston area last week. One man was crushed by a crane at a cement plant in east Houston, while the other deaths include trees falling on homes and a carbon monoxide-related incident.
Only on 13: Woman caught on video firing into the air, fired even more shots, victim says
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The woman who was caught on video firing into the air after a car crash near Humble has been charged, and the victim told ABC13 the video tells only part of the story.
Mykeria Mitchell, 21, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful carry of a weapon.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Mitchell is the woman seen on video responding to a lighthearted comment coming from a passing vehicle by firing two gunshots into the air. The video has been widely shared on social media.
The victim, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, said the ordeal was even scarier than what was captured.
“I have nightmares,” the 25-year-old said. “It was five bullets. So it was not two. It was five.”
The gunfire came after a crash along the feeder road of the North Sam Houston Parkway East feeder near Humble on May 14. The victim said she was rear-ended. She called her mother and sister-in-law, who came to the scene and then called 911.
As she waited, she said her relatives went to check on the driver, now identified as Mitchell. But instead, they were met with gunfire.
“I heard three ‘Pow, pow, pows.’ It was three. That’s when I saw my mom running towards me and my sister-in-law running to her car,” the victim said.
That was before she pointed at the passing vehicle and fired into the air, the victim said. As it escalated, the victim said she also tapped on her window with the gun and pointed it at her.
The sheriff’s office says Mitchell left the scene but was arrested a short distance away. Mitchell is out of jail on a $30,000 bond.
Her court-appointed attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
The victim, a mother of two young children, says she is traumatized but grateful no one was hurt.
“Once a bullet goes up, it comes down. Imagine if it hit somebody,” she said. “Imagine if she would have killed me? My babies wouldn’t have no mom.”
For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, X and Instagram.
HPD officer fires shots at suspect in SW Houston neighborhood, police say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A suspect is in custody after being shot at by a Houston police officer in the Westwood neighborhood in southwest Houston on Wednesday morning, according to police.
According to HPD, an officer fired their weapon at the suspect at 10200 Lansdale Drive near the West Sam Houston Parkway South. The suspect then reportedly ran into an apartment complex.
Officers identified a driver of a white BMW driving recklessly at 100 mph, HPD Executive Assistant Chief Ban Tien said.
According to police, the suspect had his 5-year-old daughter with him before he took off.
HPD says the suspect’s BMW was located in the 9400 block of West Sam Houston Parkway.
After the suspect placed his daughter outside his car, he refused to comply with law enforcement at the scene, HPD said. The suspect then exited his vehicle and knocked a sergeant on the ground. The sergeant is in his mid-30s with 16 years of service.
Investigators provided a description of the suspect as being 30 years old and a convicted felon with extensive criminal history.
Armed with a gun, the suspect ran eastbound toward an apartment complex, where he robbed a female officer and stole her cell phone, investigators say. The officer is in her 40s with 23 years of service.
CenterPoint Energy says ‘nested outages’ could be causing delays for some Houstonians without power
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As power returns to communities across southeast Texas, many people may learn that it’s not just power lines that are causing problems for their homes.
Despite power being restored for over 840,000 CenterPoint Energy customers since last Thursday’s destructive storm, more than 72,000 Houston-area customers were still in the dark on Wednesday morning.
#Houston: If you receive a notification that your electric service was restored but you’re still without power, you may be included in a “nested outage.” This means our systems indicate power was restored to equipment serving your area but your home may be impacted by a more… pic.twitter.com/Nigivq6TJ5
— CenterPoint Energy (@CenterPoint) May 20, 2024
According to CenterPoint, some people may receive a notification that electric service was restored in their neighborhood, even though they’re still without power. Officials said a number of issues could cause that, including a “nested outage.”
ABC13 Anchor Jeff Ehling spoke to a licensed electrician about the issue and how much a fix can cost.
SEE ALSO: Massive restoration means a massive cost, and energy experts said customers may see an increase
A “nested outage” happens when power is restored to equipment serving your area, but your home is impacted by a more localized issue that is still causing an outage. Customers could be on a different circuit than their neighbors with a different level of damage, have a damaged line fuse or transformer, or possibly have a tree or other debris on the customer-owned service line that runs directly to their homes.
Licensed Electrician Gilbert Soliz said homeowners should also check their weatherhead, which is the point where power enters the home. It is typically a pipe located on the roof.
If the Weatherhead is damaged, it’s the customer’s responsibility to get it fixed.
RELATED: CenterPoint Energy launches interactive map to check estimated day of restoration in your area
The interactive, color-coded map lets users zoom into areas across the city and even enter specific addresses to see each area’s estimated date of power restoration.
“Just the typical weatherhead that just broke off of there and the wire, all this pipe, is still in tact. You might be talking about $200 to $300 dollars,” Soliz said. “But if you have to replace a whole service it can be anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 dollars. Easy.”
Soliz said the repair could take a couple of days. He also said you should ask for licenses when hiring a contractor, so you know the work will be done right.
For more on this story, follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Law enforcement sees uptick in crime in areas impacted by severe storm
WALLER, Texas (KTRK) — Law enforcement told ABC13 they expect to see an uptick in break-ins and robberies after natural disasters like the storm that swept across southeast Texas last week. Multiple law enforcement agencies have confirmed that this expectation has played out across our area.
“Criminals, when there’s no power, alarms, or surveillance, crime is going to rise. I never would have thought it would happen here,” Morgan Villanueva, the owner of Waller tanning salon Faux Glo, said.
Armed with a crowbar and taking advantage of a major storm distracting the rest of Waller, a man broke into multiple businesses, looking for his payday.
“It’s very upsetting,” Villanueva said.
SEE ALSO: Houston windstorm victim assistance: Where to get food, shelter and other services
Villanueva was shocked Monday morning to find her business burglarized, the front door smashed, and the suspect on video rummaging through her store.
“I was like, ‘What are you going to steal from a tanning salon?’ And he walked off with an iPhone that could be tracked and an iPad that could be tracked,” Villanueva said.
Because of the additional break-ins, the city of Waller imposed a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m., which will run through the end of the week. The curfew kicked up a bit of controversy, but Villanueva says if it stops other businesses being broken into, she’s for it. Waller Mayor Danny Marburger also stood behind the decision.
“It’s just to try and slow down anybody that didn’t have any business in those two areas where people are either still not at home or they’ve left to get with relatives until the electricity comes back,” Marburger said.
According to the mayor, the curfew led to police stopping a man who they believed was responsible for the tanning salon break-in on Monday night. He was arrested.
In Houston, HPD said it has also seen an uptick in break-ins in areas without power.
“At night, the burglaries have gone up as expected. But we have a number of officers on patrol, we’ve made a number of arrests, so we’re doing a great job on that as well,” Ray Leon, HPD commander of the Northwest Division, said.
It’s a common side effect of natural disasters that Villanueva can’t wrap her head around.
“This is what feeds my babies at home, and it provides a home for me,” Villanueva said.
For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Klein Fire Department crews responding to small plane crash at Hooks Airport, officials say
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Crews are responding to a small plane crash at Hooks Airport in northwest Harris County Tuesday morning.
According to the Klein Fire Department, a rescue was underway for two remaining people on board after one passenger and two dogs had been rescued. Everyone has since been reported safe.
Officials said the Taxiway Mike is shut down as crews work to clear the incident.
SkyEye flew over the scene, where the aircraft could be seen in water. There have been no reported injuries.
The cause of the crash is unclear.
INCIDENT UNDERWAY
— Klein Fire Department (@Kleinfiredept) May 21, 2024
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
9:28 am
Small aircraft emergency at Hooks Airport. Taxiway Mike is shutdown for the interim, allowing crews to work. Klein Fire Department Engine crews 31 and 38 are diligently working to rescue the 2 remaining people on board…#hounews pic.twitter.com/ZJPo56k0Bm
CenterPoint Energy launches new interactive map to check estimated day of restoration in your area
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — CenterPoint Energy is hard at work to get the lights back on for thousands of Houstonians still in the dark following Thursday’s destructive storm.
Overnight, they made significant progress, though as of Tuesday morning, 145,000 customers are still in the dark for the fifth day in a row, according to the CenterPoint Energy Outage Tracker.
Approximately 197,000 customers had their power restored in the last 24 hours. Officials said more than 770,000 customers have had their power restored since Thursday.
In addition to the outage tracker, CenterPoint also launched a new interactive, color-coded map where users can zoom into areas across the city and even enter specific addresses to see each area’s estimated date of restoration.
A screenshot shows the areas highlighted in the new CenterPoint Energy map. Users can zoom into the map on CenterPoint’s website.
CenterPoint expects to restore about 90% of the outages by Tuesday evening.
READ MORE: CenterPoint expects 90% of customer outages restored by Tuesday evening
How to get help from FEMA if you were impacted by last week’s destructive storms
FEMA is offering new disaster assistance to Texans recovering from last week’s destructive storm and last month’s flooding.
The agency said assistance is available for residents in Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker counties.
FEMA says if you suffered damage due to the storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began April 26, you may qualify for a one-time $750 payment per household through their Serious Need Assistance (SNA) program.
Officials said this payment would be in addition to any other assistance. It can be used toward water, food, first aid, breast-feeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation.
To qualify for SNA, you must tell FEMA on your application that you are displaced, need shelter, or have other emergency costs due to the disaster.
A second new benefit is FEMA’s Displacement Assistance. That includes money to help with housing needs if you can’t return home because of the disaster. Residents can use the money to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or other options.
Both the Serious Needs Assistance and Displacement Assistance require an inspection to confirm eligibility before applicants receive funds.
You may be eligible for additional help if:
- You complete a FEMA application;
- FEMA can confirm your identity;
- The home where you live most of the year is in a declared disaster area;
- FEMA confirms the disaster damage from an inspection or documents you send, and;
- You apply for FEMA assistance while Serious Needs Assistance and Displacement Assistance are available.
Residents can apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, on the FEMA app, or by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
If you prefer to talk to FEMA representatives in person, you can visit two centers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Fonde Community Center
110 Sabine St.
Houston, TX 77007
Spring Branch Family Development Center
8575 Pitner Road
Houston, TX 77080
This is again for impacted residents of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker counties who have been affected by recent severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding.
No appointment is needed, but you should have ready the following information:
- Social security number
- Address of the damaged property
- Description of the damage
- Information about insurance coverage
- Current contact telephone number
- Address where you can receive mail
- Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds
RELATED: Want to help Houston storm victims? Here’s how to bring comfort and hope
Officials say one thing to look out for – that disasters often bring out – is scammers, who tend to pose as official disaster aid workers or federal agents.
The scammers will try to help you complete your application for FEMA relief, but in the process, they steal your private information.
FEMA urges everyone impacted by the severe weather to make sure the inspector who comes to your home or business is actually from the agency.
Harris County Judge Line Hidalgo gave a similar warning during a press conference Sunday.
“They will be wearing FEMA shirts like we have the FEMA representative wearing here,” she said. “They will have official badges. They’re not going to be in marked cars because they probably have a rental car or something like that.”
Authorities said you can always call the agency to confirm an inspector’s identity. They also reminded residents that inspectors will not come to their homes unless they have submitted an application and will never ask for money.
For more information on federal assistance, visit the FEMA website.
SEE ALSO: Houston windstorm victim assistance: Where to get food, shelter and other services
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.
1st Houston storm-related lawsuit alleges failures after deadly crane collapse
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man who survived a crane collapse that killed another man has filed the first lawsuit following last week’s deadly storm.
Crosby Ware, 66, suffered severe head, neck, and back injuries, according to attorney Kevin Haynes of Kherkher Garcia, LLP.
Ware is suing Sesco Cement, ASI Industrial, Lampson International, and McRay Crane & Rigging, all of which operate in the 7300 block of Wingate along the Houston Ship Channel.
The high winds toppled two cranes at the job site on the evening of May 16 as the storm was rolling through Houston. A video circulating on social media shows the unsteady and chaotic moments. Workers ran for their lives.
One crane hit two occupied cement trucks. Juan Francisco Hernandez, 72, was killed by a direct hit. What appears to be cabling from the crane hit Ware’s cab.
“It just threw his body around violently and severely hurt him,” Haynes said. “He is lucky to be alive.”
According to the lawsuit, the companies’ “gross negligence and conscious decision to value profits over safety” resulted in “catastrophic” injuries. Winds are believed to have been between 90 and 100 mph.
“Our position is, at the minimum, the crane should have been cradled, and the guys should have been in a muster area to render them safe if not completely shut down,” Haynes said.
The location where the incident happened is Sesco’s national headquarters, according to its website.
Online Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) records show Sesco was fined nearly $100,000 in 2021 for various health and safety violations at the location. Sesco did not respond to a request for comment.
Hernandez’s family is represented by The Pinkerton Law Firm.
On Monday, SkyEye captured the two cranes still lying where they fell. Ware’s attorneys also filed a temporary restraining order to preserve the scene.
For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, X and Instagram.
SEE ALSO: Mom of 4 moving SUV during storm among at least 8 killed during Thursday’s severe weather