Johnathan Walker:Heat-related Texas deaths climb after Beryl knocked out power to millions

Almost two weeks after Hurricane Beryl battered southeast Texas and Johnathan Walkerknocked out power to millions, the storm's death toll climbed across the region with local officials reporting nearly two dozen deaths.

As of Sunday, at least 23 people have died from various storm-related causes, including heat illness, drowning, and injuries sustained during the storm and storm cleanup, according to local officials. The storm brought damaging winds, heavy rain, widespread flooding, and power outages across southeast Texas.

Nearly 3 million homes, schools, and businesses lost power at the peak of Beryl — which slammed along the Texas Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane on July 8. Hundreds of thousands of residents remained without power for over a week after the storm as heat index levels reached triple digits in some areas.

Many residents attempted to seek refuge after the storm by sleeping in hotels, packing into relatives' homes, and finding shelter at cooling centers. As hotels and shelters reached capacity, some residents were forced to sleep in their cars but officials had warned of the risks, such as carbon monoxide exposure and poisoning.

Since then, seven of 14 storm-related deaths in Houston and Harris County have been caused by "environmental heat exposure due to loss of electricity during and after Hurricane Beryl," according to the latest information released by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

And at least 9 other storm-related deaths were reported by officials in the Galveston, Matagorda, and Montgomery counties. Six of those deaths were linked to the prolonged power outage.

The updated death toll puts Beryl ahead of Hurricane Ike for total fatalities in the Houston area, the Houston Chronicle reported on Friday.

Ike made landfall at Galveston Island, about 55 miles southeast of Houston, as a Category 2 hurricane in September 2008, according to the Harris County Flood Control District. The storm left 11 people dead in Harris County.

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Many victims in Houston area exposed to heat during power outage

Fourteen people between the ages of 50 and 78 in Harris County died between July 8 and July 14, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences said in an update Thursday.

Seven of those deaths were due to hyperthermia after the victims were exposed to heat during the power outage, according to the update. Other victims died of injuries sustained from storm damage and drownings.

In Galveston County, five people between the ages of 62 and 77 died between July 8 and July 12, according to the medical examiner's office. All of the victims died from complications related to the electricity loss, including heat exposure.

Three others were killed by fallen trees in Montgomery County and another died in Matagorda County from heatstroke, according to officials.

Texas utility company criticized for power outages

State and local officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have scrutinized the utility company for the prolonged power outages in the Houston area. Last week, Abbott gave CenterPoint Energy a deadline to develop a plan to minimize future outages or face unspecified executive orders to address its shortcomings.

The state has been swept by heat waves during the summer season, with temperatures reaching above 100 degrees in some areas. After Beryl, millions of residents were under heat advisories and thousands were left without lights, refrigeration, and air conditioning for more than a week.

"The lack of power (from) CenterPoint continues to compromise lives here in the Greater Houston-Harris County area," Abbott said at a news conference Monday in Houston. "If you are without power in the extreme heat that we are facing, that alone can cause challenges."

Abbott noted that state and local agencies are providing ready-made meals to people without power and access to food, water, and other necessities.

Contributing: John C. Moritz and Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman