Energy provider CenterPoint Energy is up against the clock to restore power for nearly 200,000 customers left in the dark after last Thursday's destructive storm. According to Houston Landing, Jade Benjamin, a local business owner, has been scrambling to keep her family cool and connected in the absence of updates from CenterPoint, compounding the challenges she already faces as a single mother and caretaker for her ill mother.

With some residents, like Benjamin, already stretching to meet ends, the storm has hit wallets hard with unplanned expenses. "It's been very expensive and extremely inconvenient," Benjamin told Houston Landing. CenterPoint has pledged to mostly complete power restoration by the end of Wednesday evening, despite significant damage hindering the massive undertaking. The recent severe weather left more than 900,000 subscribers without power, and although repairs have been underway, efforts to fully restore service have been dampened by rainfall and debris-encumbered equipment.

The city's infrastructure took a hit with hundreds of traffic lights knocked out of commission, complicating commutes and demanding a high degree of caution from drivers. Houston Mayor John Whitmire emphasized the importance of safety in Monday's public statements, as reported by Houston Landing, and signaled that power restoration is a top-shelf issue for the city. In light of the ongoing crisis, Houston has proactively opened cooling centers for those grappling with the rising mercury levels in their powerless homes, an effort to prevent more tragedies following a carbon monoxide poisoning death over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Houston's municipal courts resume on Tuesday, and debris pickups are in the queue per Houston Chronicle. The larger school districts in the region have been forced to juggle closures and early dismissals, with HISD and others staggering under the storm's domino effect. As civic services pivot to tackle the aftermath, federal aid from FEMA is available for those worst hit by the natural disaster, promising a glimmer of relief.

CenterPoint is under no illusion about the race against time and weather they are currently running, having detailed in a statement obtained by Houston Landing “We understand the past four days have been very difficult as our customers have worked to recover from the devastating impacts of last week’s severe weather.”