Pearland, TX – As Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc with power grids, residents like combat nurse Guadelupe Flores found themselves enduring unbearable conditions. Accustomed to tough nights during her 15-year Army career, Flores faced a new challenge when power outages hit her home in Pearland.
“I’ve seen my share of rough nights,” Flores reflected, steadying a Ryobi 6800-watt portable generator at a bustling Home Depot on Tuesday evening. “But it’s different when it’s your kids, and I have two geriatric dogs, and they’re really struggling.”
Flores, 37, was among many lining up at the Home Depot on Broadway, where the $899 generators were flying off the shelves. For Flores, it was the first time purchasing a generator, driven by concern for her children and pets enduring the sweltering heat.
“It’s my 13-year-old dog, Emma, I’m worried about,” Flores confessed. “She’s been panting non-stop since we lost power.”
Despite its smaller size compared to military equipment, Flores believed the Ryobi generator would suffice for her immediate needs.
“It should power up the second-story AC and the refrigerator,” Flores explained, determined to make do amidst the outage. “We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do because it doesn’t seem like anything is moving along right now.”
Ron Crabtree, 51, faced a similar dilemma caring for his 76-year-old mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. He too found himself at Home Depot, loading a Ryobi generator onto his cart.
“My mother tends to get cold, so she was okay at first,” Crabtree shared. “But with the heat today, I had to do something.”
A seasoned camper and fisherman, Crabtree recognized the utility of small generators but acknowledged this was his first for home use, now essential for ensuring his mother’s comfort amid the outage.
As Pearland residents weather the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the demand for generators highlights the community’s resilience in the face of adversity.
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