As officials assess the damage from destructive storms in the Houston area that killed at least seven people and knocked out power amid rising temperatures, residents in the Southeast and Gulf Coast face a severe weather threat through Saturday that could bring another round of excessive rainfall and severe thunderstorms.
A complex of storms with winds up to 100 mph and a tornado left a trail of destruction Thursday across the Houston area that damaged multiple skyscrapers, caused a sewage spill and triggered power outages that could stretch on for weeks amid soaring temperatures.
At least four people died from the storm in Houston, including two killed by fallen trees and a third who died in a crane accident, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said Thursday.
A man walks through fallen bricks from a damaged building in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm in Houston on Friday.
A man walks through fallen bricks from a damaged building in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm in Houston on Friday. David J. Phillip/AP
Another three storm deaths were reported in Harris County on Friday evening. One man collapsed while trying to move a downed electrical pole, and a woman died after lightning struck the trailer she was inside and sparked a fire, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a post on X. Gonzalez said another victim who had lost power reportedly went out to his truck to plug in his oxygen tank and was found unresponsive Friday morning.
“Heartbreaking! My condolences go out to the families that lost a loved one during yesterday’s severe weather event,” Gonzalez said.
The damaging storms will be followed by high temperatures in the 90s through the weekend and beyond while many are without air conditioning.
Over 531,000 customers in Harris County remain without power early Saturday following the line of storms, according to PowerOutage.us. Authorities have warned that restoring power to all customers will be a lengthy process.
Down power lines are shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm in Cypress, Texas, near Houston on Friday.
Down power lines are shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm in Cypress, Texas, near Houston on Friday. David J. Phillip/AP
CenterPoint Energy – the primary electrical provider in the area – said the storm system caused “extensive damage to the company’s transmission and distribution electric systems.” Thousands of workers are being deployed to help with restoration efforts, the company said.
The rainfall, combined with high winds and power outages, also resulted in the spillage of more than 100,000 gallons of domestic wastewater, otherwise known as sanitary sewage. The spillage occurred in three separate locations across the city, but Houston Public Works assured residents that drinking water from the City of Houston remains safe.
With burgeoning heat, the City of Houston opened cooling centers for residents on Friday, officials said in a news release. The heat index, which measures what the body actually feels, could hit triple-digits by next week, raising health risks from weather’s deadliest threat.
“The weather pattern is shifting into a hot and dry pattern starting on Saturday, so it is going to be important to have a way to stay cool,” the National Weather Service warned on Friday.