On July 8, 2024, Hurricane Beryl slammed into the Texas coast, plunging Houston and surrounding communities into a prolonged power outage. Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, left a path of destruction in its wake as it moved through the Caribbean Sea and into the United States. Despite being downgraded to a category 1 hurricane when it came ashore in Texas, Beryl caused 64 deaths in the U.S., and billions of dollars in infrastructure damage.
Among the deaths was Judith Greet, a 71-year-old from Crystal Beach, TX who was unable to keep her oxygen concentrator running during the power outage. “The tragic death of Judith Greet is a sad reminder of the deadly threats power outages pose to the thousands of individuals who depend on life support equipment in their homes,” said P4P project director Eric Cote.
Power Outage Partners, a P4P initiative that seeks to boost power outage support for life support users, will help minimize the power outage risk for America’s most vulnerable citizens. Power Outage Partners project director Eric Cote has been in touch with Texas officials to explore opportunities to launch an initiative in the Lone Star state.
In 2021, Winter Storm Uri proved deadly when prolonged power outages led to deaths of more than 200 Texans. Among the 246 Texans who dies was Carroll Anderson, a 75-year-old resident of Crosby, TX who relied on an oxygen concentrator. Anderson was found dead near his pickup truck where relatives believe he was searching for an oxygen tank.