In Texas, around 350,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area remained without power Sunday, nearly one week after Hurricane Beryl slammed into the region. Some residents have taken to sleeping in their cars amid scorching temperatures. Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for an investigation into CenterPoint Energy, which residents say was unprepared to respond to the disaster. This is Deborah Powell, a 72-year old retiree from Houston.

Deborah Powell: “There should be something that the city can do to give these people lights and make sure that we don’t suffer no more. Houston shouldn’t have to suffer. H-Town. This is H-Town, man. H-Town shouldn’t have to suffer. But we’re suffering right now. So, it’s something. I know Mayor Whitmire just got in there, so I’m not going to down him. But it’s something Mayor Whitmire and everybody else that’s connected with the city and the lights, CenterPoint, it’s something they have to do. It’s something they can do. What it is, I don’t know. If I could go do it, I’d do it.”

This comes as Politico reports the Biden administration rejected a request from CenterPoint last year for $100 million to strengthen its poles and wires against powerful storms.

Meanwhile, at least two people were reported dead in Vermont from heavy flooding caused by Beryl as it continued to make its way across the U.S. last week. Before arriving on U.S. soil, Hurricane Beryl killed at least 19 people across the Caribbean. Scientists warn such events will only become stronger and more frequent due to the climate catastrophe.