Much of Houston remained without power in the wake of Tropical Storm Beryl, with authorities warning that the blackout could persist for days as heat builds across the beleaguered region.

Beryl, initially a Category 1 hurricane, left Houston—a city of 2.4 million residents—grappling with flooded streets, fallen trees, and widespread power outages. The storm has been blamed for three deaths in Houston, including a police department employee who drowned in his car, and 11 deaths across the Caribbean during its week-long rampage.

As of 3 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 2.4 million electric utility customers in eastern Texas were without power, according to poweroutage.us. Around 85% of homes and businesses serviced by Houston’s primary electric utility, CenterPoint Energy Inc., experienced power loss. While CenterPoint restored power to 1 million customers within 24 hours, it cautioned that parts of its network might need complete replacement.

“I do not have power at my house—I know what it’s like,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at an evening press conference.

Residents without power face another challenge: soaring temperatures. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the region until Wednesday, with heat index values predicted to reach as high as 105°F (40°C).

Houston, a vital hub for US petrochemical production, global shipping, and medical research, is no stranger to storms. However, this year has been particularly harsh, with numerous weather events flooding streets, damaging buildings, and causing widespread power outages.

Texas has increasingly become a showcase for extreme weather exacerbated by climate change, from powerful hurricanes to severe heat waves and droughts. This year, the state witnessed its largest wildfire on record in the Panhandle.

Beryl, initially forecast to land further west, veered close to Houston. The storm's winds damaged the roof of Sugar Land’s city hall and forced rescuers to save a driver from a nearly submerged truck. Additionally, one resident was killed by a falling tree, and another died in a fire sparked by lightning. At one point, Houston's 911 call center received 400 calls per hour.

Houston officials urged residents to remain home Tuesday to allow utility crews and first responders to assess the damage and check on vulnerable individuals. Many streets remained blocked by water and debris, and traffic lights were non-functional.

“I want to emphasize, don’t let the clear skies fool you,” Mayor Whitmire warned. “We still have dangerous conditions.” Photo by User eflon on Flickr, Wikimedia commons.