While the storms’ clouds and rain kept temperatures in the low 80s Friday, the return of late springtime heat looms for Houston this weekend into next week, leaving the hundreds of thousands still without power with the daunting reality that they may not have air conditioning.
HOUSTON — Some Houston residents who lost power during Thursday’s blistering severe wind event are now facing the daunting possibility of being without power and air conditioning for days or even weeks as temperatures heat back up.
HOUSTON METRO ROCKED BY SEVERE STORMS THAT LEFT 4 DEAD AND OVER 1 MILLION WITHOUT POWER
The severe weather raked the Houston area with 70-80 mph recorded wind gusts, with some radar estimates of 80-100 mph wind gusts. Over 1 million electrical customers were without power in Texas during the peak of the storms — some 900,000 of them in Harris County, home to much of the Houston metro area.
While CenterPoint Energy says they have restored power to 180,000 customers by Friday morning, over 750,000 remain in the dark around Houston, according to PowerOutage.US.
(FOX Weather)
For some, it could be weeks before power is restored.
According to Harris County Executive Judge Lina Hidalgo, 10 energy transmission lines are down, and for power customers tied to those lines, “people should prepare for weeks without power.”
Centerpoint Energy officials said it would take another day to assess the damage, “but we are looking at a multiday event… If you depend on life-saving equipment, you need to make plans now to find another place to stay.”
(FOX Weather)
Another danger is the increasing heat as tens to hundreds of thousands lose access to air conditioning.
SEE IT: DEADLY STORM WALLOPS HOUSTON AS FEROCIOUS WINDS LEAVE DESTRUCTIVE PATH ACROSS SOUTH
Highs on Saturday and Sunday are expected to climb back into the low 90s around Houston. With typical humid Gulf air in place, heat index readings are expected to reach the mid-90s this weekend, climbing to around 100 or just over by early next week.
Hidalgo said 15 Harris County libraries will be open for air conditioning and power.