More than 500 cases of price gouging reported in Harris County
FacebookTwitterEmail We ve seen of course gas prices all the way from $2.50 a gallon to $3.50 a gallon, Menefee said. Report price gouging if you see it in Harris County.JUAN BARRETO/Staff
In a time of dire need during this winter blast, Texans have faced yet another threat from individuals who are spiking prices on basic necessities, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced during a press conference.
As of Friday, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee s office has reported more than 500 cases of price gouging in the Houston area during the storm.
Texas is experiencing a storm from hell. Hereâs a look at what has unfolded
By Shannon Larson Globe Staff,Updated February 17, 2021, 7:53 a.m.
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People lined up to fill their empty propane tanks in Houston. Temperatures stayed below freezing Tuesday, and many residents were without electricity.Brett Coomer/APHouston Chronicle via AP
More than 3 million Texans waking up Wednesday morning went to bed without power after a winter storm increased consumer demand for electricity while pummeling the stateâs grid.
Now the state is bracing for yet another arctic blast, with a winter storm warning in effect for dozens of counties in the Fort Worth-Dallas area until Thursday morning. Ice accumulation and one to three inches of snow are expected, with up to six inches of snow northeast of the metro region.
City Public Works director Carol Haddock explained that state rules from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality mean that the boil notice can’t be immediately lifted even once the system regains enough pressure to ensure the water coming to consumers can be sufficiently treated and sanitized. She said once the water pressure gets back to an acceptable level, the city has to take water samples and send them into the state.
“We have to then let them sit in the laboratory for 24 hours to make sure that no bacteria grows in them,” Haddock explained, “and once we get the all clear on those, then the state will allow us to rescind the boil water notice.”