WFCN –
In his home without electricity, 78-year-old Oscar Rodriguez passed away on July 10 from hyperthermia.
At his home in northwest Houston, close to Fulton and Patton St., his loved ones said they received a notice that power had been restored, but the electricity never came on.
For real, it hurts. “There are no words that can explain,” his granddaughter Ana Pena whispered.
After his son went to see how Oscar was doing around noon on July 10, according to his family, Oscar was perfectly fine. Oscar was still unresponsive when his son came back to see him that evening.
It was at the hospital that Oscar tragically succumbed to his injuries. According to the medical examiner, he died of hyperthermia brought on by prolonged exposure to the elements after his home lost power during Hurricane Beryl.
“My grandpa was loving, caring and hardworking, like he’s going to be very, very missed,” Pena added. “If anything good can come out of this, it’s just shedding light that our elderly deserve better.”
SEE MORE –
Death Toll Rises: 28 Dead from Extreme Heat Across US, Mainly in California
For the same reason, he joins at least eight other victims in the Houston region in passing away.
“I just hope CenterPoint could have done a lot better than what they’re doing,” Pena added.
Hurricane Beryl cut power to almost 2 million people in Houston. Eight days after the publication of this story, fifty thousand people still do not have access to electricity. 2. 2 million have been returned to their original state.