HOUSTON — Power was restored to an east Houston apartment complex Wednesday after residents went nearly three days without air conditioning during the city's hottest days thus far.
Temperatures got so hot inside The Selena apartments Tuesday that one resident showed us a picture of their thermostat that was reading near 90 degrees.
Power went out at the apartment complex Monday night after a transformer blew, according to management.
KHOU 11 tipped the city off about the issue on Tuesday night after a resident contacted the station asking for help.
In a statement, the apartment complex said the repair was complex because it involved underground power lines to be replaced. As repairs were taking place, the City of Houston provided cooling solutions to the tenants.
"We are also working with the City's Risk Management Office and the Fire Marshall among taking other safety measures," the complex said in the statement.
The apartment complex said CenterPoint Energy was immediately contacted after the power went out but their repairs weren't completed until Tuesday at 6 p.m. They then went on to say that additional contractors were hired to do more repairs.
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin helped with getting power back to residents after watching our report on television. He said he immediately started making phone calls to get the problem fixed.
When asked what would've happened if KHOU didn't get involved, Martin said, "I think these people would be sitting here in 105-degree temperature on Thursday, and on Friday."
KHOU 11 has reached out to CenterPoint to verify what the apartment complex said about the repairs.
Read the full statement from the apartment complex below:
"The Selena regrets the disruption that was caused by the power outage to some of our residents. CenterPoint Energy was immediately contacted after it was discovered that a transformer blew late Monday night, but CenterPoint's repairs were not completed until 6pm on Tuesday. The Selena right away engaged a professional electrical contractor to do the further repairs, but they were unable to restore power. Two additional contractors were swiftly hired. The repair is complex as it involves underground power lines to be replaced. If the solution works as planned, the electrical contractors anticipate that the power can be restored this evening. Given the complexity of the situation, the contractors are working on a back-up plan to provide temporary power as well. The Selena has maintained communication with residents and coordinated with the City of Houston to provide cooling solutions to our tenants. We are also working with the City's Risk Management Office and the Fire Marshall among taking other safety measures. The Selena requires renters insurance, and staff has provided assistance to tenants to file renters insurance claims if any losses occurred such as spoiled food. Our residents are The Selena’s top priority, and we take their comfort and safety very seriously."
CenterPoint released the following statement on Wednesday:
"As we have demonstrated on many occasions, CenterPoint Energy will work around-the-clock when necessary to address an issue so our customers have electricity, especially when there are extreme temperatures. In the case of The Selena, within three hours after an outage was reported around 10 p.m. on Monday, our crew confirmed on-site all CenterPoint equipment was in working order and no repairs were required. We hope The Selena can address its customer-owned equipment issues so we can restore electricity to the complex’s residents as safely and quickly as possible."