HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Officials, family members, and union representatives are urging the public to leave CenterPoint Energy’s linemen alone as they work to restore power across Greater Houston after Hurricane Beryl.
The Houston Police Department has received multiple reports of threats, harassment, and violence against the workers in the past week.
Ed Allen, business manager for IBEW Local 66, spoke at a Sunday press conference about the hostile conditions faced by employees, calling the treatment unacceptable.
“We’ve had guys with guns pulled on them, rocks thrown at them, and people brandishing AK-47s. It needs to stop,” Allen said. “Several companies have already told me if it doesn’t stop, ‘We’re going to get in our trucks and drive off.'”
A week after Beryl’s strong winds hit Greater Houston, about 134,000 customers are still without power. Full restoration is expected by Friday.
CenterPoint Energy confirmed this is the largest outage in the company’s history, affecting over 2.2 million customers.
During the blackout, at least three people in Houston have died due to the heat. Others died from carbon monoxide poisoning or their oxygen machines shutting down. Federal and state officials have called for an investigation into the utility company’s preparation and response to the Category 1 hurricane.
The prolonged wait times and criticism of CenterPoint have created a tense environment for the crews.
HPD reported five incidents involving CenterPoint personnel last week:
– Wednesday, July 10: A CenterPoint employee received angry phone calls and emails.
– Thursday, July 11: A security guard was warned of a potential drive-by shooting threat at Barnett Stadium, used as a staging area for CenterPoint crews.
– Friday, July 12: HPD discovered posts on X threatening to shoot up CenterPoint headquarters.
– Saturday, July 13: A utility worker was threatened with a gun and had rocks thrown at them near 1900 Wilcrest, prompting the evacuation of 100 linemen. The suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
– Saturday, July 13: A man allegedly threatened to shoot a crew working near Jay and Homestead if they didn’t come to his house.
Last Thursday, Fort Bend County officials said a man in Needville was arrested for pulling a BB or airsoft gun on a CenterPoint employee. The suspect, Gilbert Becerra, was charged with deadly conduct but denied the allegations, claiming mistaken identity.
A woman whose brother traveled from Florida to help restore power in Galveston expressed concern for his safety. She requested anonymity to protect his job.
“He’s had cars run up on them, stopping in front of them, and making throat-cutting motions,” she said. “It’s shocking. He’s worked all over the U.S. and never shared this kind of fear.”
She explained that out-of-state utility workers often leave their families for extended periods and have no decision-making power, waiting for orders from superiors before starting work.
“I want everyone to know these men and women are hard workers, and their jobs are already inherently dangerous without the additional threats or violence,” she said. “If things don’t change, many line workers will be reluctant to return to Houston if there’s another major outage.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that the legislature will propose legislation increasing penalties for attacking line workers. If passed, legal punishments will be more severe.
