After a strong storm hit Texas, causing damaging winds that toppled trees, broke apart windows, and left nearly a million people without power, at least four people have died.
This month’s second hurricane to slam Houston, the swift storm tore across southeast Texas on Thursday, bringing wind gusts as high as 160 kmph (100 mph), matching the intensity of Hurricane Ike in 2008, which claimed over 200 lives.
In eastern Texas and western Louisiana, the National Weather Service issued a warning about “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.”
Nearly a million people in Houston and the surrounding areas were left without power as a result of the storm’s toppled power lines, trees, and flooded roads.
Since many of the roads were impassable and traffic lights were predicted to stay out for the whole of the night, officials asked the populace to avoid driving.
Houston mayor John Whitmire stated that, “Stay at home tonight, do not go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children.”
“Our first responders will be working around the clock.”
Four deaths from the storm were confirmed by the mayor. According to officials, at least two of the fatalities were caused by fallen trees, while a third occurred when a crane toppled over in high winds.
Social media posts with images and videos displayed significant damage to homes and other structures. According to the Associated Press, hundreds of windows at downtown hotels and office buildings were broken, leaving glass all over the streets below.
STORM DAMAGE: This is what I’m seeing in the heights after severe weather moved through. There are a ton of down trees, fences, siding and other debris. There’s also high water. DO NOT drive to see damage. It’s very dangerous. https://t.co/11TJh0gb0E pic.twitter.com/nhUXfOL8qo
— Nick Natario (@NickABC13) May 17, 2024
The state was dispatching Department of Public Safety police to protect the area, according to the mayor, while first responders were addressing a backlog of 911 calls.
The Houston Independent School District, Texas’s biggest public school system, announced on Friday that it would be suspending classes.
Read Also: Tragic Loss: Pregnant Woman Among Three Dead in Louisiana Storms
Poweroutage.us reports that about 855,000 consumers in Harris County, which includes Houston, were without energy.
Emergency personnel in large suburban regions reported “catastrophic” damage to transmission cables and issued a warning that power outages would last for several days.
According to the AP, flights were momentarily suspended at Houston’s two main airports. Bush Intercontinental Airport observed sustained winds exceeding 60 mph (96 kph).
Although the storm system passed quickly, Houston and the surrounding areas were still under flood watches and warnings. Wide areas of Louisiana were under a severe thunderstorm warning.
Texas has seen two storms this month. This one is the second. Strong storms that hit the area in the first week of May resulted in a lot of high-water rescues, some from the rooftops of flooded homes.
