Thunderstorms Bring Devastation to South-Eastern Texas

Fast-moving thunderstorms tore through south-eastern Texas for the second time this month, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. At least four people lost their lives, with the toll including two fatalities caused by falling trees and another due to a crane that was blown over by strong winds.

The storm system moved swiftly through the region, causing widespread damage and disruption. Houston’s streets were flooded, and trees and power lines were down across the area. Wind speeds reached 100mph, with some areas experiencing twisters. The storm was reminiscent of 2008’s Hurricane Ike, which caused significant damage to the city.

Mayor John Whitmire urged residents to stay indoors, warning that many roads were impassable and traffic lights were out. “Stay at home tonight. Do not go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children,” he said. “Our first responders will be working around the clock.”

Gulf coast states were bracing themselves for further severe thunderstorms, with tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds a possibility. Heavy to excessive rainfall was also forecast for eastern Louisiana and central Alabama.

The city’s downtown area was particularly affected, with hundreds of windows shattered at hotels and office buildings. The state was sending department of public safety officers to secure the area. “Downtown is a mess,” Whitmire said, adding that there was a backlog of 911 calls that first responders were working through.

The storms also affected neighboring Louisiana, leaving more than 215,000 customers without power. Over 100,000 Entergy Louisiana customers in the New Orleans area lost power. A flash flood warning was issued for the region, with the weather service forecasting continued heavy rainfall.

In Houston, Minute Maid Park, home of the Astros, was closed due to the storm, but the retractable roof was unable to keep out the wind and rain. Despite the conditions, the game against the Oakland Athletics was still played.

The Houston independent school district canceled classes for over 400,000 students at its 274 campuses. Flights were briefly grounded at the city’s two major airports, with sustained winds topping 60mph recorded at Bush intercontinental airport.

The power outage affected over 900,000 customers in and around Harris county, which contains Houston. CenterPoint Energy warned customers to be prepared for extended weather-related power outages. The problems extended to the city’s suburbs, with emergency officials describing the damage to transmission lines as “catastrophic” and warning that power could be affected for several days.

This was not the first time the Houston area had been hit by severe weather this month, with storms slamming the region during the first week of May. The storms led to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.