HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Governor Greg Abbott is set to hold his first press conference since Hurricane Beryl made landfall. The briefing will take place at Gallery Furniture in northwest Houston on Sunday afternoon.
Having recently returned from an overseas trade mission in Asia, Governor Abbott’s press conference is anticipated to address various concerns, although specific details remain unclear. One major issue likely to be discussed is the accountability of CenterPoint Energy in its preparation and response to the hurricane.
CenterPoint reported this event as the largest outage in its history, affecting 2.26 million customers. CEO Jason Wells, in an exclusive interview with the Houston Chronicle, defended the company’s efforts, noting that 1.1 million customers had power restored within 48 hours. He acknowledged the need for better communication with customers regarding expectations.
This response comes amid calls for investigation into CenterPoint’s preparedness and actions. Acting Governor Dan Patrick and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee have both demanded inquiries, with Jackson Lee requesting the U.S. Attorney General’s involvement.
Congressman Al Green stated that CenterPoint allegedly refused to answer questions from Congress members during a recent call. In the field, CenterPoint workers have faced hostile interactions, including an incident where 100 linemen were evacuated after someone fired a gun at an employee in southwest Houston. Wells emphasized the importance of worker safety, urging the public to allow crews to perform their duties without threats or violence.
As of six days after Hurricane Beryl, about 460,000 people in the Greater Houston area remain without power. CenterPoint expects to restore power to approximately 85 percent of its customers by the end of the weekend. The updated restoration map shows that some areas might have to wait until July 19 for power to be fully restored.
The hurricane’s aftermath has already resulted in at least three heat-related deaths, with others succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning or the failure of oxygen machines due to power outages.
Governor Abbott will address the city’s ongoing recovery efforts around noon on Sunday in Houston.
