 And heat-related deaths in the Houston area keep rising after Hurricane Beryl left millions without power for days as temperatures soared. At least 23 people have died due to the storm. Half are being blamed on the heat and the power outages that knocked out air conditioning. Nearly 3 million homes and businesses lost electricity when Beryl hit two weeks ago. Hospitals reported a spike in heat-related illnesses. Power was restored to most customers by last week.