From @mattlanza (posted elsewhere, but he has an account here he does respond to occasionally)
"For those of you scoring at home, Houston has endured.
2015: Memorial Day flood
2016: Tax Day flood
2017: Harvey
2019: TS Imelda
2020: TS Beta
2021: Grid collapse due to freeze, Hurricane Nicholas
2022: Extreme summer heat/drought
2023: Hottest summer on record
2024: Derecho"
Solar panels + backup battery in Houston (solely to run your A/C) would be useful right about now. Heat Index of 95F. (this, as big chunks of the city are still out of power). Hopefully folks are finding shelter at friends/relatives/etc. #TXwx#heat
Still 547,131 customers without power in Texas (!) - usually about 3 people per customer, so that's 1.5M people without power in sweltering conditions. #TXwx#power
Eyeballing these, lots of tree removal/electrical hazards, ie power lines down/street hazards/lights out -- mixed with the other usual stuff. #Houston#TXwx
City of Houston has activate cooling centers due to the widespread power outages and heat.
AlertHouston: The City of Houston is providing resources for refuge from extreme heat after widespread power outages and damages from Thursday night’s severe storms. The cooling centers will be open Friday, May 17, 2024, between 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Centerpoint Energy "A fast moving but severe weather system has caused widespread power outages across the service area. As a result, outage updates via Outage Tracker and Power Alert Service® as well as our ability to provide estimated restoration times may be delayed or unavailable. They are still the best way to receive the most up-to-date information as it becomes available and we appreciate your patience as we work to restore service." #TXwx#Houston#Power