Some Texans go days without power after Hurricane Beryl. It was preventable, suit says
July 17 marked nine days since Hurricane Beryl wiped out power for over two million Texans. Some, according to the Texas-based power company CenterPoint Energy, continue to go without power amid a “scorching” heat wave.
Now, the energy company faces a lawsuit accusing it of costing local restaurants over $100 million with its “failure” to swiftly address the outages within 48 hours.
The class action lawsuit, filed July 15 by a group of Houston- and Galveston-area restaurants, came as 92% of power had already been restored. It was also filed alongside calls from public officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, for CenterPoint to be investigated because of the delayed power restoration.
CenterPoint Energy declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it is “focused on restoration efforts,” in an email to McClatchy News. As of July 16, CenterPoint said it has restored 96% of power in Houston, and expects all power will be restored by July 19
The lawsuit alleges CenterPoint — which said it is “committed to collaborating with the State, local government, regulators, and community leaders to increase the resiliency of the electric grid” — was ill-prepared for the hurricane despite knowing “the storm would lead to mass power outages if now appropriately addressed beforehand.”
The complaint alleges many transformers were over 50 years old, lines were “corroded” and generators were “deteriorated” before the storm even struck Texas.
“Equipment in this condition is highly vulnerable to failure and outages when met with even minor wind or rain,” according to the lawsuit.
When the time came for the company to mobilize workers to relieve millions without power, company trucks and workers sat idly in parking lots without directions, according to the complaint. Lineman waited days for directions and authorization to begin work, according to the lawsuit.
The restaurants and restaurant groups allege this was due to a lack of communication from CenterPoint employees “untrained in field dispatch.”
CenterPoint’s power outage map was also reportedly inaccurate, according to court documents. Some customers were told their power was restored, but they still had no electricity, according to the lawsuit.
CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells reportedly acknowledged the company’s miscommunications, saying, “I think we could do a better job of communicating expectations with our customers and I personally own that,” according to the lawsuit.
As a result of the delayed power restoration, “hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to sleep in their cars or hot rooms, and some are even stranded without food or water,” according to the lawsuit.
The sustained power outage has led some frustrated residents to harass and even threaten linemen as they work, McClatchy News reported.
The restaurants specifically lost “incalculable inventories,” leading to “permanent irreparable harm” to some of the restaurants, the complaint said.
The group of restaurants are seeking $100 million.
“The City of Galveston cannot rely on CenterPoint. The Greater Houston area cannot rely on CenterPoint. The State of Texas cannot rely on CenterPoint. The company’s repeated failures to prepare for and respond to weather events, most recently Hurricane Beryl, make it clear that the people deserve better,” the complaint said.
Galveston is about a 50-mile drive southeast of Houston.
This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Some Texans go days without power after Hurricane Beryl. It was preventable, suit says."
