Storms hitting Houston, leaving nearly a million people without power

Deadly storms hitting Houston, leaving nearly a million people without power in Texas

Deadly storms smashed windows of high-rise buildings, uprooted trees and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Houston area Thursday.

It was the second time this month that Southeast Texas was hit hard.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a press briefing Thursday evening that at least four people had died as a result of the storms.

“We have a storm with 100 mile per hour winds, the equivalent of Hurricane Ike, causing significant damage to downtown,” Whitmire said, noting that tornadoes may also have hit the area.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters that at least two deaths were caused by falling trees, while another was caused by a crane falling due to wind.

Whitmire advised residents to “stay home” and noted that “there are trees lining the roads all over Houston.”

Several downtown office buildings had their windows blown out, leaving “glass all over the streets of downtown” and destroying traffic lights, according to Whitmire.

As evening approached, flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in several counties, the National Weather Service office in Houston said.

The NWS office urged people in the storm’s path to “shelter now“ and move to the lowest level.

The city was experiencing a “backlog” of emergency 911 calls, mostly related to gas leaks and downed wires, Peña said.

Flooded streets and fallen trees were widespread in the area. CBS affiliate KHOU-TV broadcast images of broken windows at a downtown Houston office building, with glass strewn across the street below.

Videos posted on social media showed downtown streets littered with debris and water blown into Minute Maid Park, despite the closed roof of the stadium, where the Houston Astros hosted the Oakland Athletics.

“Don’t go west through downtown if you’re still there after an Astros game,” Whitmire warned.

Nearly 1 million customers in Texas were without power Thursday evening. More than 808,000 people were without power in and around Harris County, which includes Houston and has a population of more than 4.7 million.

“I ask everyone to be patient and check on your neighbors,” said Whitmire, who estimates it could take 24 to 48 hours for power to be restored.

The severe weather also grounded flights at Houston’s two main airports, with sustained winds exceeding 60 miles per hour at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The Houston Independent School District announced the closure of all schools on Friday.

“Please avoid the roads if possible, but if you are outside, be careful and watch for debris,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez advised on social media.

He shared a photo of vehicles driving around a huge fallen tree at an intersection.

In early May, violent storms also hit the region, leading to numerous rescues in the midst of floodwaters, some from the roofs of flooded houses.