Frustrations Mount in the Houston Heat After Beryl Moves on and Leaves Millions Without Power

MATAGORDA, TEXAS – JULY 8: Debris blocks FM2031, the main access road, after Hurricane Beryl came ashore nearby Monday, July 8, 2024, in Matagorda. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

HOUSTON (AP) — Frustration is mounting that Houston appeared to buckle under a storm not as powerful as previous ones. Officials said Tuesday that wide recovery efforts are underway after Hurricane Beryl left millions still without power as temperatures soar. Officials say restoring power is the No. 1 priority. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration. Emergency crews hope to have power restored to an additional 1 million people by the end of the day. Beryl made landfall early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane and has been blamed for at least seven U.S. deaths and 11 in the Caribbean.

(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)