Restaurant workers, owners struggling to cope with extended power outages from Hurricane Beryl

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A lot of people around the Houston area were still dealing with power outages more than a week after Hurricane Beryl slammed Southeast Texas.

It’s no longer just uncomfortable, it’s affecting their livelihood and they’re not sure how they’re going to financially recover.

In Humble, they’re going on eight days without power and their bills keep on piling up.

Guillermo Camarana said no power means no work and some of their product goes to the trash.

“Todo eso va para la basura,” Camarana said.

Camarana said he has had to throw away thousands of dollars worth of supplies for his small restaurant Kekas Locas & More off FM 1960.

“Ya dos semanas. Es espanto,” he said.

If the power doesn’t come back soon, he’s worried he won’t be able to last longer than two weeks. But, he said his biggest stress is his employees.

“Fue quincena de cheque ya se les acabo el dinero. No hay como abrir. La mayoría depende de este trabajo,” he said.

They rely on the income from their job and they have had to spend everything from the last time they got paid.

He said 12 employees reached out looking for work, but he doesn’t have anything for them to do as long as the power is out.

“A mi me afectado bastante, Soy la única que trabajo,” Maria Alvarez said.

Alvarez, a cook at Kekas Locas & More, said she’s the only one in her family who works.

She said she had to throw out all her food at home and it costs more than $300 to grocery shop for her family.

“Esta semana ni un peni,” she said.

Not a penny was earned this week, which is making things increasingly difficult because the bills keep coming.

“Tenta luz gas, basura todo todo tengo que pagar. La verdad yo necesito trabajar,” she said.

She needs to work. Her gas bill and rent, among other things, are about to be due.

She’s not alone. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the city are in the same boat.

Tacos A Go Go owner Sharon Haynes said they had to deal with outages due to the derecho, and now they’re dealing with it again from Beryl.

She said it’s not easy to claim everything through insurance.

“The fact that every single event we have is a brand new claim — new deductibles affect your premiums. That is a challenge,” she said.

Camarana said he’s hoping to get power back on Wednesday. He and Alvarez aren’t sure if they can survive much longer without work.