Cut wire causes Northline Terrace neighborhood internet outage after Hurricane Beryl, AT&T says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Gilbert Fuentes has been sleeping at his job for three weeks since Hurricane Beryl roared through the Houston area.

"Without the internet, I can't work from home, so I have to spend the night here at the office," he said while showing an ABC13 crew the couch he has been sleeping on.

Fuentes is a transportation coordinator who requires the internet to provide quick services to customers.

Hurricane Beryl made landfall on July 8 and knocked out Fuentes's home power. On July 16, it was restored, but his internet was not.

RELATED: Post-Beryl internet outages plaguing small businesses, remote workers

"It's also very important for everything that runs the house security cameras, streaming, anything," he said.

An AT&T spokesperson said a fiber line in his Northline Terrace neighborhood was cut by a third-party contractor, affecting the area's home phone and internet service.

AT&T did not elaborate on how the damage would be fixed or when exactly it happened. For residents still recovering from Beryl, this feels like an extension of hurricane recovery.

Efrain Medrano and his niece Rosa have been helping their neighbors who don't have service.

"Somebody supposedly came out yesterday saying that we had Internet. That was a lie, just like people who said we had power. That was a lie," Medrano said.

SEE ALSO: Seabrook couple lost power while AT&T contractor worked in backyard, but no one takes responsibility

"I have a little sister inside. If she doesn't have Internet, she starts crying (and) starts freaking out. She's crazy about it," Rosa said. "She can't go without Bluey or Peppa Pig."

"I could do without social media, but I can't do without internet," Fuentes said while laughing.

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