STORM ALERT! 4 Dead as Violent Storms Wreak Havoc in Houston; Power Outages Affect Nearly 1 Million in Texas
Four people were killed, and almost one million homes and businesses were left without power in Texas as strong storms hit the Houston area Thursday night.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña reported that two persons were killed by falling trees and one in a crane accident during a news briefing on Thursday night.
According to Peña, the causes of death for three of the four individuals are preliminary and not official. No information concerning the fourth fatality was given.
The torrential rain and violent storms also flooded streets and caused broken windows in downtown buildings. Mayor John Whitmire stated at the meeting that the city was seeing “80, 90, 100 miles per hour storms” and that “some twisters” were “mixed into strong winds.”
He warned people in his city to stay at home and off the streets.
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“Stay home. Do not travel on the road. It’s dark, and there are trees across the roads. So be patient and cautious, look out for one another, remain at home tonight, and don’t go to work tomorrow unless you’re an essential worker,” he said.
Whitmire announced that schools in the Houston Independent School District will be closed on Friday.
Whitmire described downtown Houston as a “mess,” with firefighters removing live wires from Route 290 and most traffic lights down around the city.
He stated that city agencies will work around the clock and into the night to clean debris and make circumstances safe.
Whitmire previously stated that “many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees.” He also discussed the “significant” power outages and reports of damage in the area.
According to poweroutage.us, almost 830,000 households and businesses in Harris County, which includes Houston, were without power as of 10 p.m. CT. Approximately 963,000 people in the state remained without power Thursday night, down from over 1 million earlier in the evening.
The National Weather Service forecasted 3 to 6 inches of rain, with greater totals expected in certain regions. A flood watch was in effect until Friday AM.
The National Weather Service office in Houston issued a tornado warning as “severe storms continue to roll across our coastal counties.”
According to the National Weather Service, flood warnings are in effect for parts of southern Texas until Friday morning, including Harris County and the cities of Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Houston, Madison, Montgomery, northern Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto, southern Liberty, Trinity, Walker, Waller, and Washington.
On social media, Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia urged his personnel to “stay in place” as “many limbs are down, making roads unsafe.” He added that his staff were ready to begin cleaning debris “once winds subside.”
Photos and videos posted on social media show massive floods and downed trees throughout Houston, as well as broken electrical towers and power lines.
In a Facebook video, rain pours into Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros play. Another video shows throngs of baseball fans leaving the stadium despite the inclement weather.
Winds in the area were so powerful that roof panels at a Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston appeared to blow off, according to another video posted on social media.
A building in Houston’s Wells Fargo Plaza appears to have had its windows blown out, according to a post on X.