Residents of a Pasadena apartment complex endure sweltering heat without power.
PASADENA, Texas — Residents at a Pasadena apartment complex were sleeping on floors and using water hoses to stay cool as they endured their second day without power amid sweltering temperatures, with one elderly neighbor requiring ambulance transport due to heat-related complications.
The power was restored late Tuesday night, but the frustration remains.
The power outage began affecting parts of the complex Monday morning, with all units losing electricity by approximately 8 a.m., according to one resident who requested anonymity.
The heat has forced neighbors to band together for survival.
“We invited the whole neighbors out,” one resident explained, describing how community members are gathering outside to catch any available breeze. Some residents spent the night crowded together in the one apartment that still had air conditioning.
“Anoche entre todos los vecinos nos pusimos a dormir toditos” (Last night all of us neighbors put ourselves to sleep all together), another resident said in Spanish.
The extreme conditions have taken a serious toll on the community’s most vulnerable members. One elderly resident was transported by ambulance after suffering heat-related distress.
“He was already falling out the chair,” a neighbor witnessed.
Inside the powerless apartments, temperatures were unbearable. One unit registered 83 degrees, forcing residents to discard spoiled food from non-functioning refrigerators.
“Everything. I had to throw it out. I can’t give that to the kids. It’s no good,” one mother explained as she showed her nearly empty fridge.
Frustrated residents seeking answers found the leasing office closed, prompting some to take matters into their own hands.
“I knocked and I went in, I walked in,” one resident said, describing her attempt to find management. Phone calls to what residents believe is the owner’s number have been unsuccessful, with the line showing as “disconnected or no longer in service.”
The lack of communication from property management has left residents feeling abandoned. “It’s just hot and you know we can’t be in this heat,” one resident said, expressing the desperation felt throughout the complex.
Private electrical crews working at the site said that they were called to the scene Monday and had power back on by Tuesday night.
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