Harris County receives nearly 200 price gouging complaints after Hurricane Beryl disaster

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Power isn't the only concern for some local leaders. They're also worried about businesses taking advantage of the Hurricane Beryl disaster.

If you're shopping right now, officials want you to keep an eye on how much you're paying.

"We're talking food, gasoline, water, lodging, and (if) you notice prices are substantially higher than they have been in the past, you should absolutely report that to the county attorney's office," Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said.

The Houston area is under a disaster declaration a week after Hurricane Beryl came through. Because of this, businesses aren't allowed to take advantage of the situation.

If they do, they face penalties. Menefee said that his office has received more than 180 price-gouging complaints so far.

RELATED: 'Nested outages,' a post-derecho issue, haunts Houston again as Beryl-outages persist a week later

"I know there are even more folks out there who have seen it but haven't reported it," Menefee said. "We want as many people to report as possible."

If you think price gouging is going on, here's what you want to do:

• Take a photo or keep the receipt.

• Write down information like the name of the business and the date.

• Keep track of employee names.

"If we have the evidence, such as a photograph, it tends to happen the easy way, which is I send one of our investigators out to the scene, they show them the picture, and they say, 'We know what you're doing. You need to stop,'" Menefee explained. "In almost 100% of the instances, we see compliance."

Officials said to look for gas rising by 50 cents, water prices doubling, or hotels charging way more than previous stays. Reporting it may help save not only your money but others' as well.

"We all have a duty in our community to make sure we're doing everything we can to help lift up our neighbors and get people back on their feet after this disaster," Menefee said. "If you see something, say something."

SEE ALSO: Harris County leaders condemn violence against utility workers during post-Beryl restoration efforts

There has been a call for civility from Harris County leaders as more electric utility workers report feeling unsafe on the job.

You can report price gouging to the Harris County Attorney's Office or the Texas Attorney General's Office. Both offices have teams set up to tackle the issue.

In Harris County, you can use its website to file a complaint, send an email to consumerhelp@harriscountytx.gov, or text 346-354-7459.

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