4 dead as severe storms hit Houston area; hundreds of thousands lose power in Texas

[Pelican Press 0]

4 ***** as severe storms hit Houston area; hundreds of thousands lose power in Texas

Downed transmission power lines are shown near Grand Parkway and West Rd. after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress. 

Melissa Phillips | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images

Emergency crews in southeast Texas were clearing debris and assessing flooding early Friday after 

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, ******** at least four people and knocking out power to nearly 800,000 customers.

The winds — which reached 100 mph — were reminiscent of 

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, one of the costliest natural disasters in ********* history, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a briefing Thursday. A widespread 3 to 6 inches of rain fell north of Houston, with one of the highest totals reaching around 6.9 inches in 24 hours near Romayor.

The storm also battered New Orleans overnight, with severe thunderstorms and flooding possible again Friday, according to 

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In Texas, the destruction was evident even before sunrise, with high winds tearing out windows of high-rise buildings in downtown Houston and inundating the region with flooding. Streets were littered with glass, electrical lines and other detritus.

A home is severely damaged by a fallen tree after heavy winds and rains ripped through the region on May 17, 2024 in Houston, Texas. 

Logan Riely | Getty Images

“I know that many people lived through, and are still living through, scary situations with the terrible strong winds that blew across our county tonight,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement Friday morning.

“Damage assessments are ongoing, and we cannot know how long it will take to clear debris without those assessments completed, but from initial reports the debris looks very significant,” Hidalgo said.

Classes were canceled for the 400,000 students in the Houston Independent School District.

Officials urged all but essential employees to work from home if possible.

Two of the four people who ***** in Texas were ******* by falling trees, while a third ***** when a crane blew over, Houston ***** Chief Samuel Peña said at a news briefing. No information was given about the fourth. Whitmire said a possible fifth ****** is being investigated, but it’s not yet clear if it was related to the weather.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked emergency personnel in a statement, saying work is ongoing to assist communities affected by the storms.

“Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives due to severe weather in Southeast Texas, and we remain in contact with local officials to do everything we can to protect Texans and help our communities recover,” Abbott said.

A video photojournalist shoots footage of damage at a tire shop at the intersection of Sowden and Bingle in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. 

Brett Coomer | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images

At one point, more than 900,000 customers were without power statewide; that remained true for around 770,000 as of 10 a.m. CT,  

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. Nearly all of those were in Houston’s Harris County.

Heat and humidity in the city will ramp up into the weekend, which could lead to health concerns if power is not restored quickly. Temperatures could be as high as 91 degrees with a heat index of 97.

Across Houston, photos and videos on social media showed intense flooding and downed trees, as well as 

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, rain was seen leaking into Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros play. 

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 baseball fans leaving the stadium amid the bad weather.

Strong winds appeared to have blown off roof panels at a Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston, 

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 showed. 

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 showed blown out windows in a building in the city’s Wells Fargo Plaza.

Broken windows are seen following last night’s storm Friday, May 17, 2024, in downtown Houston. 

Jon Shapley | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images

Whitmire described downtown Houston as a “mess” and warning that “many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees.” 

Firefighters were removing live wires from Route 290 and most city traffic lights were down, he added. 

In Louisiana, the severe weather knocked out electricity for some 215,000 customers, many in and around New Orleans. Around 115,000 remained without power as of Friday morning.

A swath of the southeast coast, stretching from Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama and into the Florida Panhandle, was under a flood watch early Friday.

Around 7 million people were at risk of experiencing severe storms. Flood watches for cities including Baton Rouge, Mobile and Hattiesburg will remain in effect through Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasts call for 3 to 6 inches of rain in some areas, as well as possible tornados and quarter-sized hail.

Come Saturday, 9 million people from northern Florida to eastern North Carolina can expect storms capable of gusty winds as well as an isolated tornado. Cities at risk include Tallahassee, Charleston and Wilmington.

An additional 1 to 3 inches of rain will be possible across the Southeast through Sunday.

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