A violent storm on Thursday night pounded southern portions of Texas, leaving nearly 1 million residents without power. The National Weather Service said quadrants of both Texas and Louisiana can expect widespread rainfall of 2 to 6 inches, and possibly up to a foot.
Meteorologist Eric Burris posted to X on Thursday that radar indicated the storm was producing winds over 100 mph and that the storm moving through Houston was the “definition of destructive.”
What We Know
According to the state’s power outage map, over 900,000 Texas residents were without power in the state as of 10:15 p.m. ET. Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport posted that delays were expected, and that customers should check with their airline for the latest updates.
Houston’s KHOU anchor Len Cannon said on X that the Houston mayor’s office reported at least four deaths after the storm. The fatalities’ circumstances were not immediately determined, KHOU added.
Newsweek has reached out to the Houston mayor’s office via email for comment late Thursday night.
KHOU reporter Jason Miles also posted to X, sharing a video of buildings downtown with numerous “blown out” windows.
Houston’s ABC13 reporter Pooja Lodhia posted a video to X, depicting the destruction of windows as glass littered downtown streets.
Views
Earlier this week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a frequent critic of President Joe Biden, asked the president to issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration for areas of the state pounded by harsh weather last month.
Abbott posted to X this week, saying, “Due to severe weather and flooding that continues to cause devastating damage in several of our communities, I am requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration,” Abbott said. “The extensive damage caused by these severe storms, historic river flooding, and tornadoes requires comprehensive, robust action by all levels of government to help Texans rebuild and recover. This Presidential Disaster Declaration will give local communities access to critical financial assistance that will help cover costs ranging from temporary housing and home repairs to grant funding for roads and bridges. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with our local and federal partners to bolster Texas’ recovery efforts across the state.”
What’s Next
Thursday night’s storm is pushing east and expected to impact portions of Louisiana as well as Mississippi. Into the weekend, there is also an increased flood risk as far east as Florida, according to AccuWeather.
Heavy rains and winds tear through Minute Maid Park before Thursday night’s baseball game between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics in Houston, Texas. Heavy rains and winds tear through Minute Maid Park before Thursday night’s baseball game between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics in Houston, Texas.
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