South Houston Church Offers 24/7 Cooling Center for Those Without Air Conditioning

HOUSTON (KIAH) — As of Wednesday morning, more than a million people still had no power in their homes due to damage to power lines from Hurricane Beryl.

With temperatures reaching 32°C in the afternoon, the lack of air conditioning makes life uncomfortable for these people and even dangerous for some.

Local governments and other agencies have opened cooling centers in response to the power outages, but a Houston church may be the only one open all day.

The First Missionary Baptist Church, located on Briscoe Street, is open 24 hours a day, offering people a chance to beat the heat and get a hot meal and cold water.

About seven people slept there Tuesday night, and the church plans to help anyone without electricity in the near future.