Texas 'Tighten' Heat Waves Without AC After Beryl Storm Hits

JAKARTA - Millions of people in southeastern Texas are experiencing very hot conditions without AC assistance after the Beryl storm shut down electricity in most of the region.

The hot heat also burned most parts of the Western United States and Canada, thereby increasing the risk of forest fires.

About 2 million homes and businesses in Texas are out of power, according to Poweroutage.us, as temperatures hit 38 degrees Celsius in the middle of Tuesday, July 9, the National Weather Agency said.

"Without electricity in most parts of Southeast Texas following the Beryl disaster, no air conditioning could cause any dangerous conditions," the agency said.

Hurricane Beryl hit Texas on Monday, July 8, flooded the highway, damaged houses and cut off the power grid it was traveling through. Seven people died in a storm in Texas, including two people who were killed by fallen trees, Houston CHronicle reported. Beryl killed 11 people in the Caribbean before reaching Texas.

The storm weakened while moving through the controlling region but still poses a risk of flash floods and tornadoes as of Wednesday, the National Weather Agency said.

A resident of Houston, Raymond Miller (46) has been out of power since 6 a.m. on Monday. The food in his refrigerator can't be eaten and the dog is breathless.

"I had difficulty sleeping and humidity made it very difficult for me to breathe in my apartment. Opening the window last night didn't produce anything, it made things worse," Miller said.

Miller plans to sit with his dog in his air-conditioned vehicle, whose fuel is only a quarter remaining.

"No gas is available. Everyone runs out of gas," he said.

Overall, about 128 million people across the US were under hot alerts on Tuesday. Most of the Western region, from Seattle to California to Arizona, is expected to experience record high temperatures.

The national high of 129 F (54 C) was recorded near Tecopa, California, in the Mojave Desert, the weather service said.