HOUSTON — More than 800,000 CenterPoint customers were still without power Friday, including residents in a northwest Houston neighborhood where utility lines continued to topple over several days after Beryl left its path of destruction.
For residents along Deihl Road, it’s a clear example of the work that still needs to be done.
It’s hard to miss the rusted transformers and multiple downed power lines blocking cars on one stretch of the road. Just a few yards away, at least one snapped utility pole dangled over the street.
“If that wire gives out, it’s going to go right down onto the street,” resident Mary Lou Heater said.
Heater first reached out to KHOU 11 with a message on the Your Voice phone line.
Speaking to us Friday, she said that one utility pole had fallen after Beryl. However, over the next few days, she said additional utility poles and power lines were pulled down by the initial downed pole.
At least three utility poles were seen on the ground on Friday while at least three more poles were perilously leaning.
“Wednesday is when I talked to CenterPoint and there were two guys and they said yeah, ‘We have crews coming,’ and no one’s been here yet,” Heater said. “One of the linemen, he said it was the worst he’s seen in Houston, and we should have been first.”
As she waited for repairs, Heater was worried more lines could fall or spark and start a fire in the wooded area near her home. Residents from across Houston have reached out to KHOU 11 with similar concerns about downed power lines or lines tangled up in trees.
“I know we’re not, like, No. 1 as far as needs in the community, but this looks pretty dangerous to me,” Heater said.
In a media briefing Friday, a CenterPoint official said the utility company hoped to restore power to 80% of customers by Sunday. The officials added that downed trees likely impacted remaining customers without power, and those instances would not see quick fixes.