Hurricane Beryl's Aftermath: Texas Struggles to Restore Power Amid Heatwave

Around 1.3 million homes and businesses in Texas are still without power four days after Hurricane Beryl hit the state. CenterPoint Energy, the largest power provider, is under scrutiny for slow restoration efforts. Oil, gas, and chemical industries face operational challenges, and damages could cost insurers $2.7 million.

About 1.3 million homes and businesses in Texas remained without power on Thursday, four days after Hurricane Beryl lashed the state with fierce winds and flooding, sparking frustration among companies, officials, and residents facing extreme heat.

Around 1.1 million of those without power were customers of CenterPoint Energy, the state's largest provider. The slow restoration of power is hindering some companies' efforts to return to normal operations quickly, especially around Freeport, one of Texas' largest energy hubs. Most oil and gas companies, however, have resumed normal operations after Beryl made landfall as a Category-1 storm.

Freeport LNG, the U.S.'s third-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer, has not restarted gas processing operations since making initial preparations on Wednesday, according to sources. A Reuters witness noted that no vessels were docked at the LNG company's berths and many power restoration crews were working in the area. The company has not provided an operational update since Sunday but indicated it ramped down production at its liquefaction facility.

Chemical maker Olin declared force majeure for some product shipments after Beryl caused damage to its Freeport facilities. The Texas Gulf Coast is home to massive oil and gas processing facilities, as well as export plants and chemical manufacturers. Refineries, offshore production sites, and ports saw limited damage and had largely returned to normal operations by Thursday.

CenterPoint is facing scrutiny over its preparations ahead of Beryl and the speed of its response. In a letter to CenterPoint, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia called the slow restoration of power a public health crisis. The utility expects to restore power to an additional 750,000 customers by Sunday. Damage from Beryl could cost insurers roughly $2.7 million, according to catastrophe modeling company Karen Clark & Co.

(With inputs from agencies.)