‘This Storm Has Broken People’: After Beryl, Some Consider Leaving

Houston Struggles with Power Outages and Growing Exodus

Houston, a city known for its resilience to natural disasters, is now grappling with a new crisis: the possibility of losing many of its residents following consecutive devastating power outages induced by recent storms. With some residents planning their “ultimate evacuation plan”, the tremendous love and loyalty to their city are severely tested.

Hurricane Beryl, the more formidable of the two recent storms, wreaked havoc on Houston’s power infrastructure, resulting in outages across almost the entire metropolis. The catastrophe couldn’t have come at a worse time, with thousands of Houstonians already residing in shelters and hotels after being displaced by the Spring thunderstorms – an earlier destructive event characterized by powerful winds and widespread flooding.

Unprecedented Back-To-Back Calamities

Today, a tour around the city presents a bleak picture. It is virtually impossible to ascertain which storm damaged the billboards littered along the highway, brought down fences, or toppled trees that remain scattered along the roads. The regular Houstonian can merely detail the duration it took to regain power after the first massive storm, and recall the precise moment when the power was lost again due to Hurricane Beryl. The burden of a second round of spoiling food, enduring sweltering heat, and resorting to emergency plans is etched in their memories.

In numerous situations, houses damaged by the substantial May storm were still under repair when Beryl, a Category 1 hurricane, made landfall. The strain of consecutive calamities began to wear on the residents, indoctrinating the idea of relocation in many.

The Breaking Point

“I’m just done,” stated Stephanie Fuqua, a 52-year-old Houstonian planning to relocate in the fall. Fuqua’s professional and personal life in Houston since 2015 had been marked by consecutive natural disasters. Her home flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In the winter of 2021, when the state’s electricity grid failed, Fuqua spent three chilling days under a bed of blankets. Lastly, the spring thunderstorms and Hurricane Beryl pushed her endurance to breaking point, leaving her sweltering without power.

The Exodus

Stories such as Fuqua’s are not uncommon in Houston today. Many of its residents, life-long or otherwise, who have endured a string of environmental adversities and hardships, are considering alternatives outside the city they once unconditionally loved. As the power infrastructure resumes operation and the ruins of the storm are cleared, the city’s leaders will need to devise strategies to restore residents’ faith and prevent an exodus – an unparalleled challenge that the city’s resilience alone may not suffice to overcome.