Houston’s recovery funds for Beryl and the derecho unlikely to meet need
Houston residents with homes damaged by Hurricane Beryl or the derecho wind event last year could receive financial assistance in the coming months. The need is greater than the available funding — a problem the city has faced in the past.
Most Houston-area residents worry about power outages, have unfavorable opinion of CenterPoint, survey finds
The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs found that 63% of Harris County voters have an unfavorable opinion of CenterPoint Energy, which supplies electricity to much of the region. Nearly 90% of survey respondents expressed some level of concern about power outages this summer.
Houston marks one-year anniversary of Hurricane Beryl as state reels over deadly flooding in Central Texas
More than two-thirds of residents surveyed by Rice University's Kinder Institute said they felt prepared for Beryl, the category 1 storm that passed almost directly over Houston on July 8, 2024. Many of them did not feel the same about local and state officials.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire changes course, calls for $50 million in federal disaster aid to go toward housing
Whitmire reversed his initial position that none of the $315 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awarded the funding in response to last year’s storms, should go toward housing. Community advocates say unmet housing needs require at least $100 million.
CenterPoint Energy reaches $3.2 billion resiliency plan settlement with Houston-area cities
The agreement, which is pending approval by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, would reduce CenterPoint's resiliency expenses over the next few years, resulting in fewer costs passed along to customers in the region.
Houston has $229 million in housing needs after disasters, but plans to spend $315 million on other programs
In an assessment of the city's unmet needs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated $229 million in necessary housing repair, reconstruction and property losses after a series of 2024 storms. The city’s plan for spending federal disaster recovery funds allocates no money toward those categories.
Texas bill to increase penalty for assaulting utility workers heads to governor’s desk
The bill was proposed in response to threats of violence against CenterPoint Energy workers in the Houston area in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
CenterPoint had inadequacies in generator procurement process, state-commissioned audit finds
The audit was initiated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) after state leaders questioned why CenterPoint had failed to utilize its leased mobile generators during Hurricane Beryl last July.
Rothko Chapel to restore Beryl-damaged artwork with grant funding
The interfaith sanctuary in Montrose was closed from July until December because of damage sustained during Hurricane Beryl. Grant money from the Bank of America will help restore the Mark Rothko paintings that make up the east wall triptych.
Texas Senate passes bill to increase penalty for assaulting utility workers in aftermath of Hurricane Beryl
Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) authored Senate Bill 482, which would increase the penalty for assaulting a utility worker to a third-degree felony and make harassing a utility worker a Class A misdemeanor. Workers for CenterPoint Energy faced threats and physical assaults last year after Hurricane Beryl caused prolonged power outages.
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