HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The cost of Hurricane Beryl’s damage, extended power outages, and travel and business disruptions are adding up fast.
ABC13’s partners at AccuWeather issued a preliminary estimate for the damage and economic losses from the storm in Texas and along its path through the United States.
AccuWeather estimates the storm will cost a staggering $28-32 billion in total damage and economic losses.
Their estimate looked at both direct and indirect impacts of the storm, long-term effects on transportation and tourism, and even what’s still expected as Beryl moves into New England.
Houston, being the fourth largest city in the country, also plays a big part in costs.
“(Houston) is a major port, and it’s a major hub of economic activity – not only in the state of Texas but as far as the United States overall,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.
So far, Beryl has exceeded the cost of Idalia, which last year caused $18-20 billion in damages and economic loss. It’s still below Harvey, which caused $230 billion.
The state is asking anyone who has suffered damage to report it to the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, as this plays a significant role in receiving additional federal money for storm victims.
Under “Active Incidents,” you can look for Beryl and fill out the survey that helps officials assess the need.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Open businesses in the Houston area are seeing long lines of people looking for essentials, like groceries, gas, and hot meals.
Cars lined up in the streets outside businesses serving customers on Tuesday.
Susan Balderas waited in line at a gas station at Buffalo Speedway and the Southwest Freeway feeder road. It was the second place she went to fill up her tank.
“I’ve taken my lunchtime today to find gas because in the area I live, a lot of power is still out,” Balderas said. “Gas stations are out. Long lines everywhere.”
James Puckett also waited in line, but he said he had seen worse lines down the street.
Others pulled into parking lots of closed gas stations, looking to fill their tanks and gas cans.
While some turned to restaurants for a hot meal, others looked for open grocery stores.
H-E-B said all of its stores are open during normal business hours. Some may have limited availability on curbside and delivery.
A Kroger spokesperson said all of their stores are open except the following:
9703 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, TX 77433
360 FM 1960 West, Houston, Texas 77090
8000 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77380
6767 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505
2619 Red Bluff Road, Pasadena, TX 77506
According to manager Jeff Bailey, the Kroger location on North Shepherd in The Heights remained open throughout the storm.
He said they lost power during the storm and moved to their backup generator, which partially powers the facility.
Because their power remains out, Bailey said they had to throw out all their frozen and refrigerated foods for safety reasons.
“I’m so proud of our team,” Bailey said. “We’re getting it all put back together, and we’re here to benefit the neighborhood. We’ve got plenty of water, plenty of bread, still plenty of batteries, ice chests, all the essential needs you can think of. Canned goods, ice.”
Lisa New visited the North Shepherd Kroger on Tuesday afternoon. She said she and her family still did not have power and were stressed and thirsty. She had a shopping cart full of juice.
“(Monday) was the most terrifying day of my life,” New said emotionally. “We had huge trees fall down everywhere.”
She hugged Bailey as she shopped and expressed her gratitude for the open store.
“I feel like they have done a fabulous job restocking, and it’s not like COVID where everything is just cleaned out,” New noticed. “I think people are just getting what they need, hoping the power will only be out for a few days and not trying to deplete the store.”
The U.S. team heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics is packed with talent across various sports.
Key highlights include the gymnastics team led by Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera. Biles and Lee are particularly aiming for a “redemption tour” after the challenges faced in Tokyo.
In track and field, notable athletes include Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Noah Lyles, and Sha’Carri Richardson. The swimming team features stars like Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky, and Lilly King, poised to continue their dominance.
Team USA also boasts strong contenders in sports like basketball, with a lineup including LeBron James and Kevin Durant for the men’s team, and Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson for the women’s team. Additionally, skateboarding sees returnees like Nyjah Huston and newcomers like Bryce Wettstein.
In newer Olympic sports, the U.S. is represented in surfing by athletes like Carissa Moore and John John Florence, while the climbing team features stars such as Natalia Grossman and Colin Duffy.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The signs are the same at hardware stores all over Houston: No generators, no propane.
“We’ve got the windows open. We’ve got the doors open. My grandkids are just running back and forth. We sit outside to keep it cool, but it’s really hot,” Rene Ramirez told ABC13.
Ramirez said he had been to four stores, trying to find a generator.
More than 1.5 million Houstonians were still without power Tuesday, the day after Hurricane Beryl made landfall.
“With generators, especially whole home generators, it was what you would call a luxury good, but here in Houston, it is a necessity,” David Koster with Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning, and Electrical said.
The company has set up shop in a hotel in northwest Houston. The business and most employees are also without power, and calls are only expected to increase this week.
“I think the real test is that when power starts restoring, we always see an uptick in calls because things are wrong that we’re not aware of and then surge, and all those factors play in,” he said.
Preparation is key when it comes to severe weather. Whole-home generators cost thousands of dollars and can take months to install and obtain permits.
You can find a portable generator for a couple hundred dollars, but to avoid fires or electric shock, you’ll still need an electrician to set it up with your electric panel.
“We need to install what’s called an interlock on your panel and then also an inlet where you can plug the portable generator in,” Koster said.
In Houston, shelves will likely be stocked up again by next week.
“I can’t find nothing. It’s hard, but you gotta keep on going. Can’t give up,” Ramirez said.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Over a million households have been left in truly miserable conditions without power for more than 48 hours after Beryl moved through southeast Texas.
According to CenterPoint Energy’s Outage Tracker, over 1.3 million customers are still in the dark, and there’re no specific timeline of when the power will be fully restored. At Beryl’s peak on Monday, over 2.2 million customers were without power — about 80% of CenterPoint’s customers.
Previously, CenterPoint said it aimed to have 1 million of those initial 2.2 million customers back online by the end of the day on Wednesday. The company said customers should expect a multi-day process to restore their electricity.
CenterPoint released a new map overnight that gives customers an idea of the work being done in their neighborhoods.
The map doesn’t show when power will come back, but it does show areas across Houston highlighted in three colors.
Green means power is back, though isolated outages to individual homes could remain
Blue means crews have been assigned to restore the power and work is being done
Orange means CenterPoint is still assessing damage
CenterPoint broke their restoration process down into five categories:
Impact evaluation and resource mobilization – Crews begin assessing impact of damage and mobilizing local and mutual assistance resources.
Critical infrastructure assessment – Focus on essential facilities critical to health and public safety.
Community infrastructure assessment/repair – If your grocery stores, street lights and surrounding neighborhoods are without power, the problem may be at the circuit level, which supplies power to the largest number of customers.
Neighborhood infrastructure repair – If surrounding neighborhoods are restored, but yours is still without power, the problem may be at the fuse level.
Street infrastructure repair – Seeing lights on in your neighborhood, but you and your closest neighbors are still out? We’ve completed the fuse-level repairs, but there is a more isolated issue, such as a damaged transformer, that needs to be addressed.
CenterPoint plans to update the new map as it receives more information.
ABC13 was live at the Sam Houston Race Park on Wednesday morning, which is one of 17 CenterPoint staging areas across Houston. Countless trucks were lined up at the race park, with crews loading up and heading out to work for the day.
While CenterPoint has brought in extra crews to help with repairs, with 12,000 workers spread out across the region, some Texas leaders are questioning the response and if the company did enough.
“If they made mistakes, and we don’t know if they did or not, that will be addressed by the PUC and the state legislature. That’s our job,” Acting Gov. Dan Patrick said, adding he wants CenterPoint to focus on restoring power for now.
One common criticism is that crews are sitting around for hours, waiting for an assignment.
A CenterPoint spokesperson said they know of at least three cases where that happened and have made changes to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“We’ve found it’s more productive if we do the assessment and then go out to where the need is, otherwise we’re just randomly just sending them out,” Paul Lock with CenterPoint said. “So, it’s painful for a day or two, but it’s more efficient in the long run.”
One thing you may notice is that your power may come back on, only to go right back off again. CenterPoint said that is because crews might have to take you back offline in order to help restore power to your neighbors.
The City of Houston will open cooling centers Tuesday, July 9, so people can take refuge from the heat. Additionally, nonprofit and county partners at the County are offering facilities.
City of Houston Southwest Multi-Service Center 6400 High Star Dr., 77074 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Tuesday, with heat index values in the three digits. The City of Houston activates its Public Health Heat Emergency Plan when a heat advisory or an excessive heat warning is expected to last two or more consecutive days. People without adequate transportation to a designated cooling center can call 3-1-1 to request a free ride. Transportation is only to and from the cooling centers; transportation to other locations is unavailable. Especially during this extended power outage, be sure to put these best practices into place: – Drink more water. Drink lots of liquids even before getting thirsty, but avoid beverages with caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar. – Conduct outdoor work or exercise in the early morning or evening when temperatures are not as high. Outdoor workers should drink plenty of water or electrolyte replacement beverages and take frequent breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned facility. People unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment need to start slowly and gradually increase heat exposure over several weeks. – Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that permits the evaporation of perspiration. – Do not leave infants, children, senior citizens, or pets unattended in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are cracked open. Check to make sure everyone is out of the car and don’t overlook children who may have fallen asleep. – Wear a wide-brimmed hat to help prevent sunburn as well as heat-related illness. Apply sunscreen, which protects from the sun’s harmful rays and reduces the risk of sunburn. – Seek accommodations in air-conditioned facilities during the heat of the day if the house is not air-conditioned: a relative’s home, multi-service centers, malls, movie theaters, libraries, etc. – Take frequent cool baths or showers if your home is not air-conditioned. – Look out for vulnerable populations. – Check on your neighbors.
Statistical analysis of the heat-related illnesses in Houston in the previous two summers indicates that some members of our community begin to suffer heat-related illnesses requiring visits to emergency departments when the daily maximum heat index (feels like temperature) is as low as 80 degrees. The young, elderly, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, that heat can exacerbate (e.g., asthma/respiratory, cardiac, kidney conditions), should be especially cautious. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include weakness, dizziness, excessive sweating, cool or moist skin, nausea or vomiting, muscle cramps, and a fast and weak pulse. People experiencing these symptoms should lower their body temperature by getting to a cooler place, drinking water, taking a cool shower or bath and resting. A throbbing headache, red, hot, and dry skin (no longer sweating), extremely high body temperature (above 103°), nausea or vomiting, confusion, loss of consciousness and a rapid, strong pulse are signs of heat stroke. If these symptoms occur, call 9-1-1 immediately and try to lower the person’s body temperature until help arrives. People may seek air-conditioning in city multi-service centers, libraries and recreation centers, even when the Public Health Heat Emergency Plan is not activated. For more information or to find the nearest cooling center location or an air-conditioned city facility, people can contact 3-1-1 or visit houstonoem.org
Houston — July 8, 2024: The City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWM) announces additional service interruptions for this week. Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl’s high winds and rain across the City, SWM will operate a modified collection schedule for the remainder of the week. For additional information, download the HTX Collects mobile application or contact the 3-1-1 call center. Residents can also use the 3-1-1 online portal at houstontx.gov/311 to report any storm-related concerns. Please see the collection schedule changes below:
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Monday’s garbage and heavy tree waste will be collected. Storm debris collections will resume. All six Neighborhood Depositories will reopen, but all other facilities will remain closed. Recycling and yard waste services will be suspended for the remainder of the week and will be collected on your next regularly scheduled collection day.
Additionally, SWM will conduct city-wide damage assessments from Hurricane Beryl.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Tuesday’s garbage, heavy tree waste, and storm debris will be collected. All SWM facilities will reopen.
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Thursday’s garbage, heavy tree waste, and storm debris will be collected.
Friday, July 12, 2024
Friday’s garbage, heavy tree waste, and storm debris will be collected.
Saturday, July 13, 2024
Heavy tree waste and storm debris operations will continue.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Beryl is now a tropical depression and has moved out of Texas. Beryl left behind significant flooding and damage across the region.
Isolated showers are still possible Tuesday afternoon mainly along the coast as deeper tropical moisture remains.
Temperatures Tuesday morning will be in the low 70s, but rebound into the low 90s and with the high humidity, heat index values will make it feel like the triple digits in the afternoon. That’s why a Heat Advisory is in place for Tuesday.
How long will flooding last?
With between five to 10, upwards of 12, inches of rain falling within less than 12 hours in southeast Texas, it will take a minute for all this flooding to clear streets, roadways, and highways Monday. Floodwaters need to flow through our bayous, creeks, and streams, causing street flooding. Additionally, Galveston Bay experienced a surge between two and six feet, which will initially limit floodwaters from draining into the bay. That said, area floods and street flooding could linger Tuesday morning, with conditions improving through the day. Debris could also be on roads and must clear before roads are passable.
What does the rest of the week look like?
There’s still the opportunity for a few scattered tropical downpours, mainly along the coast, on Tuesday in the wake of Beryl. Generally, though, the forecast does look drier for the rest of the week. This is good news for those floodwaters as they can drain through the watershed and out to Galveston Bay throughout the week. Unfortunately, those Houston summertime temperatures will be back in the 90s all week long, so those without power will battle some steamy conditions.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican National Committee moved Monday to adopt a party platform that reflects former President Donald Trump’s position opposing a federal abortion ban and ceding limits to states, omitting the explicit basis for a national ban for the first time in 40 years.
Trump imposed his priorities on the RNC’s platform committee as he seeks to steer clear during his campaign of strict abortion language, even while taking credit for setting up the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. Trump appointed three of the six justices who voted in the majority to overturn the 1973 precedent that established a national right to have an abortion.
The scaled-down platform — just 16 pages and with limited specifics on many key Republican issues — reflects a desire by the Trump campaign to avoid giving Democrats more material for their warnings about the former president’s intentions if he wins back the White House. President Joe Biden’s campaign has repeatedly highlighted the “Project 2025” document produced by Trump allies as well as Trump’s own promises to impose wide-ranging tariffs, replace thousands of government workers with party loyalists, and stage the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
The policy document sticks to the party’s longstanding principle that the Constitution extends rights to fetuses, but removes language maintaining support for an “amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth,” a passage in the party platform first included in 1984.
It asserts, “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process.” The document also noted “that the states are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights.”
Anti-abortion advocates who had criticized the Trump campaign’s efforts leading up to the platform committee’s meeting largely fell in line Monday.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, praised the committee for reaffirming “its commitment to protect unborn life through the 14th Amendment.”
Dannenfelser stopped short of endorsing the document’s reflection of Trump’s view that the matter rests entirely with states. Under the 14th Amendment, “it is Congress that enacts and enforces its provisions.”
The platform committee began its meeting Monday, a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin where Trump is scheduled to accept his third straight nomination for president.
The platform is a statement of first principles traditionally written by party activists. In 2016, the platform included an endorsement of a 20-week national ban. Trump had supported federal legislation in 2018 that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, though the measure fell short of the necessary support in the Senate.
Trump this year has faced months of Democratic criticism over abortion as Biden’s reelection campaign has highlighted that Trump nominated half of the Supreme Court majority that struck down the nationwide right to abortion in 2022.
In promoting the platform document, the campaign released a statement highlighting 20 issues it addresses, including immigration, the economy, energy, taxes, and crime, but omitted any mention of abortion in the subject titles.
Among the vocal abortion opponents on the platform committee, some say the aspiration of a federal ban on abortion after a certain stage in pregnancy must remain a party principle, even if it’s not an immediately attainable policy or one that necessarily helps the Trump campaign in November.
“I see that as problematic. We still need these principles clearly stated. Some of these battles are not over,” said Iowa state Rep. Brad Sherman, a platform committee member who supported Trump’s winning Iowa caucus campaign in January and also supports a federal limit on abortion.
Conservative activists who were accustomed to having a seat at the table fumed beforehand over what they said was a secretive process for selecting committee members and the meeting taking place behind closed doors.
“For 40 years, the Republican Party and the GOP platform have massively benefitted from an open and transparent process,” said Tim Chapman, the incoming president of Advancing American Freedom, a foundation headed by Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump’s campaign has sought to reshape the Republican National Committee into a campaign vessel. It signaled in a memo last month from senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles that “textbook-long platforms … are scrutinized and intentionally misrepresented by our political opponents.”
Trump ally Russ Vought is serving as the policy director of the Republican Party’s platform writing committee while also leading the effort to draft the 180-day agenda for Project 2025, a sweeping proposal for remaking government that Trump said Friday he knew “nothing about” despite having several former aides involved.
After the 2022 midterm elections, Trump blamed Republicans who held strict anti-abortion positions for the party’s failure to secure a larger House majority. He has since been critical of the most stringent abortion bans in individual states.
An AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2023 found that about two-thirds of Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The poll also found that 6 in 10 Americans think Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Mayor John Whitmire delivered an urgent message to Houstonians after Beryl slammed southeast Texas: “Don’t let the clear skies fool you. We still have dangerous circumstances.”
City officials are transitioning from rescue to assessment mode, and Whitmire is asking the public to help them help you.
“We still have high water across our city… flooding issues,” Whitmire said in a press conference Monday evening. “It is still dangerous.”
According to Whitmire, every city department is operating at full capacity, with “all hands on deck.” Nothing will go unattended, the mayor said.
Heavy garbage pick-ups will begin on Tuesday, and solid waste will start regular service on Wednesday.
METRO Lift has resumed normal operations, and METRO will begin limited services on Tuesday.
The mayor also mentioned he is working with Public Works and TxDOT to get traffic lights back up and operating.
Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm, but its powerful punch didn’t let up.
The storm made landfall near Matagorda as a Category 1 hurricane.
It moved inland, quickly producing life-threatening conditions.
Three people were killed, including two people who had trees fall on their homes.
The storm quickly inundated the Houston area, with Whitmire saying there’s water in excess of 10 inches across the city.
First responders have also received several calls for rescues, including one that occurred at SH-288 northbound at 610 South Loop, where a man was spotted on the top of his truck in floodwaters.
Firefighters used a ladder to lift the man to safety, his truck sinking into the high water on 288.
A driver stranded in floodwaters on Highway 288 is safe after the Houston Fire Department lifted him to dry land Monday morning.
Whitmire added that the city received over 400 911 calls in one hour and expected that to increase. Residents are also urged to only use 911 for emergencies. Contact 311 or 211 for other issues.
City officials echoed Whitmire’s warnings asking people to stay off the roads due to debris.
“If you don’t need to be on the street, stay off. If you’re on the street, don’t drive over flooded roadways,” said Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña.
Another concern for first responders is the possibility of carbon monoxide calls due to people using generators, which should be kept away from homes and never brought inside.
Meanwhile, the Houston Police Department said it made 15 high water rescue calls, saving eight people.
The concern for many, though, is how long the power will be out, especially as night falls and temperatures rise.
CenterPoint has been reporting more than 2.2 million customers without power as of 12:52 p.m.
With that, the Houston Police Department said it would have officers in both marked and unmarked vehicles to patrol areas without electricity.
Houston Public Works said during the briefing Monday morning that while most of its facilities were on a backup generator, the water supply is safe.
“Our streets are going to drain slower than we’re used to with an event like this,” said Randy Macchi, chief operating officer with HPW, explaining that’s why they’re asking everybody to stay home.
