Houston Mayor John Whitmire reported that strong winds downed power lines, scattered debris, and closed numerous roads following severe storms that ravaged southeast Texas.
Severe Storms in Southeast Texas Leave Four Dead and Knock Out Power for Nearly 800,000
Emergency teams in southeast Texas were clearing debris and assessing flooding early Friday after powerful storms swept through the state, killing at least four people and cutting power to nearly 800,000 customers.
The winds, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, were reminiscent of 2008's Hurricane Ike, one of the costliest natural disasters in American history, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a Thursday briefing. Widespread rainfall ranged from 3 to 6 inches north of Houston, with a peak of approximately 6.9 inches in 24 hours near Romayor.
The storm also hit New Orleans overnight, with severe thunderstorms and potential flooding expected again on Friday, according to the local office of the National Weather Service.
In Texas, the destruction was evident even before dawn. High winds shattered windows in high-rise buildings in downtown Houston and caused widespread flooding. Streets were littered with glass, power lines, and other debris.
_____A lady takes a gander at the harm brought about by fallen blocks as a result of a serious tempest Friday in Houston.
"I know that many people survived and are still enduring terrifying conditions with the horrific strong winds that blew across our region tonight," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement Friday morning.
"Damage assessments are ongoing, and we can't determine how long it will take to clear debris without those assessments completed, but initial reports indicate that the debris is very significant," Hidalgo added.
Classes were canceled for the 400,000 students in the Houston Independent School District.
Authorities urged all but essential employees to work from home if possible.
Two of the four fatalities in Texas were caused by falling trees, while a third person died when a crane collapsed, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña reported at a news briefing. No details were provided about the fourth death. Mayor Whitmire mentioned that a potential fifth death is under investigation, but it is not yet clear if it was related to the weather.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott thanked emergency personnel in a statement, saying efforts are 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 touch with local officials to do everything we can to protect Texans and help our communities recover," Abbott said.
_____A Houston cop strolls back to his vehicle after gathering individuals up from a harmed tire shop Friday.
At a certain point, more than 900,000 clients were without power statewide; that stayed valid for around 770,000 starting around 10 a.m. CT, as indicated by poweroutage.us. Virtually those were in Houston's Harris Region.
Intensity and stickiness in the city will increase into the end of the week, which could prompt well-being concerns if power isn't reestablished rapidly. Temperatures could be pretty much as high as 91 degrees with an intensity file of 97.
Across Houston, photographs and recordings via online entertainment showed extraordinary flooding and brought down trees, as well as overturned electrical pinnacles and electrical cables.
In a video presented on Facebook, a downpour was seen spilling into Minute Servant Park, where the Houston Astros play. Another video showed baseball fans leaving the arena amid the awful climate.
Solid breezes seemed to have passed over rooftop boards at a Hyatt Regime Inn in Houston, a video presented on X showed. Another film shared on the stage showed extinguished windows in a structure in the city's Wells Fargo Square.
Whitmire portrayed midtown Houston as a "wreck" and cautioned that "numerous streets are impassible because of brought down electrical cables, garbage, and fallen trees."
Firemen were eliminating live wires from Highway 290 and most city traffic signals were down, he added.
In Louisiana, the extreme weather conditions took out power for about 215,000 clients, numerous in and around New Orleans. Around 115,000 stayed without power starting around Friday morning.
An area of the southeast coast, extending from Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama, and into the Florida Beg, was under a flood observed early Friday.
Around 7 million individuals were in danger of encountering serious tempests. Flood looks for urban communities including Cudgel Rouge, Versatile and Hattiesburg will stay essentially through Saturday morning, as per the Public Weather Conditions Administration.
Gauges call for 3 to 6 crawls of downpour in certain areas, as well as could-be-expected twisters and quarter-sized hail.
___A man strolls over fallen blocks Friday in Houston.
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