Hurricane Beryl leaves millions in Texas without power amid scorching heat

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• Amna Nawaz:

  We have two major stories tonight, one the political hurricane of sorts, as the partisan winds whip through Washington over Joe Biden's future at the top of the Democratic ticket. More on that in a moment.

• Geoff Bennett:

  First, the aftermath from what was Hurricane Beryl. It's now a smaller storm, but it has led to at least seven deaths in the U.S.

• Amna Nawaz:

  More than two million customers remain without power during a stretch of extreme heat. That heat is also connected to at least five deaths in the West this week.

  Stephanie Sy has our report.

• Stephanie Sy:

  Beryl blasted ashore early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, unleashing fierce winds, torrential rains and dangerous storm surges on the coast.

  The hurricane battered downtown Houston. It quickly flooded roads and highways in the area, prompting crews to rescue drivers in the height of the storm. After the worst moved through, Texans emerged from their homes to find destruction.

• Desi Littleton, Bay City, Texas, Resident:

  I heard a big boom. I just thought it was a limb. I didn't know it was a whole tree.

• Stephanie Sy:

  In downtown Houston, some residents went out to check if people were still stranded.

• Devante Walker, Houston, Texas, Resident:

  If you all need anything, there are people out here, you know what I mean? We come together as a city, so…

• Stephanie Sy:

  Among the victims, an elderly woman in Houston killed when a tree fell into her second-story bedroom.

  And Beryl's wrath is not over. It's moving north now as a weaker storm, but still forecasts to bring heavy wind, rain and possible tornadoes to parts of the Midwest this week. Now, in battered Southeast Texas, a heat wave has moved in, bringing humidity that could make it feel like 105 degrees.

  Officials warned today it may take days to restore power to the millions of Texans that were sweltering in the dark as of this morning.

  Nim Kidd, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief: Power, again, is our number one priority. Secondary to that is establishing cooling centers and helping with generators at cooling centers if we need.

• Stephanie Sy:

  The extreme temperatures extend beyond Texas. Western states from Idaho to Oregon to California are experiencing record-shattering heat. Las Vegas hit 120 degrees Sunday, an all-time record.

• Man:

  One thirty-one.

• Stephanie Sy:

  In Death Valley, tourists posed by a thermometer reading 131 degrees. Official readings were slightly lower.

  All that heat is acting as fuel for wildfires that are already burning tens of thousands of acres in several Western states.

  For the PBS "NewsHour," I'm Stephanie Sy.