Hurricane disrupts hospitals, delays health services in Texas

Editor's Note

Electricity outages caused by Hurricane Beryl in Houston and southeast Texas forced healthcare providers to hold discharged patients longer because their homes lacked power, the Texas Tribune reported July 10.

Several hospitals had difficulties accommodating new patients, leading to delayed discharges, ambulance shortages, and a backup in 911 services. The Texas Division of Emergency Management sent additional ambulances to address the issue. Additionally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—serving as active governor during Gov. Greg Abbott’s trade trip to Taiwan—announced that NRG Arena was transformed into a field hospital for 250 discharged patients to free up space in local hospitals.

At least 17 hospitals remained on generator power, the Tribune reports, with many facing connectivity issues that make accessing medical records difficult. Restoration might take days, sparking criticism of power company CenterPoint. Cooling centers were set up for residents needing electricity for medical devices. In Polk County, a cooling station was established, but power outages forced reliance on generators at local hospitals.

The full report offers additional context and commentary from public officials and healthcare providers.