In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, over 35,000 CenterPoint customers in the Houston area remained without electricity as of the morning of Wednesday, July 17.
A 69-year-old woman was found dead inside her condo, which reportedly had been without electricity for over a week following Hurricane Beryl.
The Houston Fire Department reports that the victim, who has not yet been publicly identified, was discovered inside her condo at 5353 Institute Lane around 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, July 16.
Although the medical examiner’s office has not determined her cause of death, it has been noted that the woman, who had existing health issues, chose to stay in her condo to ride out the power outage.
Neighbor Pat Baker, whose daughter was renting the unit to the woman, was the one who found her.
“I came to check on her and she didn’t answer,” Baker shared. “I unlocked the door and found her.”
Another neighbor expressed their sadness, saying, “It makes me sad she was up here in the heat like that.”
CenterPoint electric crews arrived later that afternoon, and the property manager confirmed that the power was eventually restored on that day.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends who lost a loved one during this difficult time,” CenterPoint Energy conveyed in a statement.
It’s been reported by the Houston Chronicle that over 35,000 CenterPoint customers in the Houston area were still without power as of the morning of July 17.
“We are deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of our mutual assistance crews who dropped everything to help our communities when we needed them most,” stated Lynnae Wilson, senior vice president of electric business for CenterPoint, in a news release on July 17.
As of July 17, more than two dozen people in southwest Texas have lost their lives due to the hurricane, as reported by ABC affiliate KTRK.