BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas — Four days after Hurricane Beryl hit Texas, hundreds of Entergy customers are still without power on the Bolivar Peninsula but they could all be restored by Friday night.
After the storm hit, more than 6,200 electric meters were left powerless on the peninsula but by Friday morning more than 4,500 had been restored leaving 1,648 without power.
By midday Entergy reported that only 440 were still without power and the company says it expects those to be restored byt Friday night.
Residents tell 12News the company told them 50% of customers would have power restored yesterday. Now that deadline is being pushed to Friday night.
12News caught up with some vacationers who are having to get creative and make the best of the situation.
"It's been terrible. The days aren't too bad but about 2:00 [a.m.] every night the wind stops blowing and that's when the mosquitoes come out," said Eric Howell.
Howell and his family decided to leave their home in North Texas to spend a week on Crystal Beach.
"Everybody took off work to come down here and be on vacation, so we just rode it out," he said.
They arrived Sunday and didn't expect to be going on day four without power.
The sweltering heat has forced Howell to trade their beach house rental for the outdoors.
"We've been sleeping outside, sleeping in cars, sleeping on the balcony putting our beds out there, slept on the beach in golf carts we tried it all," Howell told 12News.
"Only about 20% [of vacation rentals] have not been able to come. We have switched a lot of dates for people that were coming so we just accommodated them," said Janice Grossheim, she manages vacation rentals on Bolivar.
Grossheim says because of the hurricane, customers can use travel insurance to get a refund.
"You purchase that insurance, you can sit there until it's time. And then do a claim and the insurance company is going to give you a full refund," she said.
However during peak season, less renters means less money.
"It has impacted us in a negative way because all the stores have had to close because they don't have power," said Grossheim.
Many are grateful a popular store on the beach has remained open. At The Big Store residents are shopping for nonperishable foods, gas and even meat to go on the grill as they wait for their lights to come on.
It's been a life saver for many vacationers including Dylan Mabry and his family.
"We're just going to have to come back everyday if we need to if the power doesn't come back on," he told 12News.