Hurricane Beryl Recovery Hampered by Power Outages in Texas

Two days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, approximately 1.7 million customers in Texas remain without power, severely affecting the restoration of critical oil infrastructure and delaying port operations.

Landfall and Initial Impact: Hurricane Beryl struck as a Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda, about 100 miles from Houston, bringing heavy winds that downed power lines and caused widespread property damage. Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re estimates U.S. economic losses from Beryl at over $1 billion, while AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate ranges from $28 billion to $32 billion in total damages and economic loss.

Power Restoration Efforts: Of the affected customers, 1.4 million are served by CenterPoint Energy, Texas’ largest provider. CenterPoint reported restoring power to over 615,000 customers within 24 hours and aims to restore power to 1 million customers by the end of the day. Questions have arisen regarding CenterPoint’s preparedness, with some customers and officials, including Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, calling for an analysis post-restoration.

Energy and Infrastructure Impact: Freeport LNG, the third-largest liquefied natural gas facility in the U.S., reduced production on Sunday and has yet to provide an update. Ports along the Texas Gulf Coast, initially closed in anticipation of the hurricane, are gradually reopening with some restrictions. The Port of Houston is set to reopen on Wednesday, allowing restricted inbound vessels.

Port Operations:

• Port of Galveston: Some cruise operations have resumed, with cargo operations expected to restart on Wednesday, though power outages on Tuesday limited operations.
• Port of Freeport: Open and operating, though on backup power with some traffic restrictions.

As recovery efforts continue, the full extent of Beryl’s impact is still being assessed, with significant challenges ahead for restoring full operational capacity across affected regions.