Desperate Texans turn to fast food app to track power outages in aftermath of Hurricane Beryl

As millions of Texans suffer done nan effects of Hurricane Beryl immoderate person turned to a fast-food app to thief way powerfulness outages.

The super large wind brought howling winds and torrential rainfall down connected nan confederate authorities connected Monday, causing nan decease of 8 and leaving complete 2.7 cardinal without immoderate electricity. 

Out of those near stranded, over 1.6 cardinal are CenterPoint Energy customers who person been incapable to entree the online powerfulness outage locator since it abruptly went offline. 

As galore desperately tried to get successful interaction pinch nan provider, immoderate societal media users person alternatively turned to utilizing a celebrated burger-chain's app to way nan outages instead. 

A X personification named @BBQBryan pointed retired that nan Whataburger app has go a very useful root to way nan powerfulness outage, dissimilar CenterPoint Energy's online tracker. 

The app allows customers to hunt immoderate Whataburger edifice and find retired which areas are still suffering from nary electrical power.  

Eateries that are closed look successful grey and nan ones that are unfastened successful orange. 

The well-meaning personification besides shared a screenshot of a representation showing which locations had their powerfulness restored connected X. 

'The Whataburger app useful arsenic a powerfulness outage tracker, useful since nan electrical institution doesn't show a map. Still astir 1.9 cardinal powerfulness outages,' he captioned nan post. 

Since nan station went viral connected nan app, Texans person flooded nan remark conception pinch jokes astir nan unconventional solution while others raged. 

'Between this and nan Waffle House Index who moreover needs meteorologists?,' 1 X personification questioned.

While different quipped: 'Texas problems require Texas solutions...'

One enraged X personification besides said: 'My connection is that each of Houston NOT salary their July electrical measure unless and until nan pursuing has been addressed.'

While different joked: 'Private endeavor doing champion what nationalist work cannot. lol.'

'Whataburger and waffle House ever pulling done amended than Oncor connected these things. Oncor couldn't find my address/account for days. Kept telling maine I didn't beryllium truthful I don't judge their numbers astatine all,' a personification complained. 

Whataburger President and CEO Ed Nelson besides released a connection and 'encouraged residents to besides telephone section units'. 

'We’re gladsome nan Whataburger app has been adjuvant to Houston residents to understand wherever powerfulness is disposable successful nan city. 

'Keep successful mind, nan app should only beryllium utilized arsenic a wide thought of powerfulness availability. We promote residents to telephone section units to spot if they are unfastened and operating. Everyone please beryllium safe if you time off your home.'

Some hospitals successful nan Houston person besides suffered harm during nan large wind and person been forced to adjacent their doors Tuesday to non-emergency appointments. At slightest 1 is operating on generator power. 

Beryl deed onshore arsenic a Category 1 hurricane, strengthening from a tropical large wind complete nan Gulf of Mexico. It later weakened into a tropical depression with maximum upwind speeds of astir 35mph.  

The storm, which was expected to quickly weaken arsenic it moved inland, swept a destructive way done Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and nan Grenadines past week. It killed astatine slightest 11 successful Mexico and nan Caribbean and earlier reaching Texas.