Severe Storms In Texas Leave Several Dead, Over One Million Without Power

A series of severe thunderstorms hit southeastern Texas and Louisiana on Thursday (May 16), causing significant damage in the Houston area. The storms resulted in at least four deaths, including the mother of a newborn, and left over one million residents without power.

The storms brought winds as high as 78 mph, which caused trees to fall, windows of high-rise buildings to shatter, and transmission towers holding power lines to collapse. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and National Weather Service have advised residents to stay off the roads due to the dangerous conditions.

The aftermath of the storm has left the city in a state of disarray, with debris and broken glass littering the streets. Cleanup efforts are underway, but the extent of the damage suggests it will be a lengthy process.

"It is all hands on deck tonight…Downtown is a mess, so stay at home tonight and tomorrow," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said. "Everyone’s coming together — that’s what we do best in Houston," he added. "Let's get through this challenge."

The storms will continue to bring dangerous weather to the Gulf Coast on Friday.

"Starting along the Gulf Coast, another day of potentially significant flash flooding is forecast along and to the south of a warm front lifting slowly northward across the region. A Moderate Risk of Excessive Rainfall (level 3/4) has been issued for portions of southern Mississippi and Alabama where a complex of organized, heavy downpour-producing storms is forecast over already saturated soils from storms Thursday night," the National Weather Service said.