HOUSTON, Texas — It’s been nearly a week since strong winds pummeled downtown buildings and knocked out power all over the Houston area.
“Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday," said Spring Branch homeowner, Carlotta Lugo. "Seven days!”
A CenterPoint crew was finally at work Wednesday in Lugo’s backyard near a small generator she’s relied on for partial relief.
“I’m thanking them, saying “oh my God, thank you very much,” said Lugo.
But they could not restore power until she repaired a damaged connection point.
"They just finished this morning," said Lugo. "They’ve been here for three days because they were trying to find parts.”
Damaged weatherheads, where the power company's connection meets the home, are among potential problems.
"That's what you've heard CenterPoint talk about," said Mister Sparky master electrician, Albert Bustos.
The Houston franchise is among those helping homeowners with what they are responsible for fixing, including Lugo’s neighbor right next door.
"This is where CenterPoint hooks up to these wires here," Bustos said. "Everything up from that point of connection back on to the meter, the breaker box, all of that belongs to the homeowner.”
He said Mister Sparky alone has been at least eight times busier in recent days and is prioritizing calls like this over other repairs.
"To get Houston back on," Bustos said. "That’s what we’re concerned about now. Let’s get Houston back to normal.”
Something that comes at a cost for people like Ms. Lugo, but can’t come soon enough.
It can cost in thousands of dollars for certain repairs, and insurance may not cover everything.
There’s also the permitting process to worry about.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation urges you to make sure anybody you hire is licensed and has proper city or county electrical permits before work begins.