Cooling Centers in Texas

How Cooling Stations Are Helping Texas Residents This Summer

The year 2023 has brought extreme temperatures, with the 4th warmest April on record and the 3rd warmest May in 174 years. Some parts of Texas have seen temperatures of over 110°F in June 2023, and many cities have deployed cooling centers as a way to protect the population. According to state health officials, more than 350 persons were sent to emergency rooms by heat-related illnesses on June 20.

• On June 27, ERCOT reported that electricity usage in Texas had reached a new record of 80,828 MW – surpassing the 80,148 MW record from July 20, 2022.
• In great part, this can be attributed to air conditioning systems working at full capacity in homes and businesses, amid a three-week heat wave.

Power outages have also been a challenge in the region. More than 170,000 consumers in the Houston area were left without power on June 8, and over 300,000 customers across several states were without power on June 19 after a weekend with severe storms. The most severe outages were reported in Tulsa, OK, with around 165,000 customers affected and over 700 power poles struck down. The storms also caused major power outages in East Texas, leaving around 150,000 customers without electricity.