Severe Storms Batter Texas: One Dead, Power Outages and Flooding Wreak Havoc
Texas: At least one person has been killed and more than 700,000 customers remain without power across Texas as powerful storms unleashed another wave of violent weather on Tuesday. This comes after weeks of relentless and deadly storms that have devastated the state.
The latest round of storms brought hurricane-force wind gusts to the Dallas area and later swept through Houston, where a wind gust of 75 mph was recorded at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Approximately 40 miles northwest of Houston, one person died when a house under construction collapsed in a subdivision in Magnolia. The victim, described as a “juvenile male” by the Magnolia Fire Department, was pulled from the debris by firefighters and pronounced dead. Magnolia Fire Department Division Chief Jason Herrman confirmed to CNN that the collapse was related to the severe thunderstorm with significant winds on Tuesday.
Videos captured across Houston and Dallas communities showed scenes of destruction and flooding. Footage from north Dallas revealed multiple cars stranded in flooded roadways amidst frequent lightning. In other areas, powerful winds uprooted trees, toppled them onto homes, and knocked down neighborhood fences, leaving communities in disarray.
The power outages began early Tuesday morning in the Dallas area and spread south as the storms moved across the state, according to PowerOutage.us. Hundreds of thousands of outages were reported in Dallas County, prompting officials to issue a disaster declaration and warn that outages could last for days.
These storms add to the toll of at least seven people killed in Texas during violent storms over the Memorial Day weekend. In total, at least 24 people, including four children, were killed across six states as storms ravaged the central US over the holiday period, leaving several communities grappling with significant losses of homes and businesses.
Sunday marked the busiest severe weather day of the year so far, with more than 600 reports of strong winds or hail across over 20 states. This included gusts over 75 mph and hail the size of softballs. There were also 26 tornado reports in 10 states, turning homes and businesses into rubble, flinging cars, and bringing down power lines.
The National Weather Service has warned that parts of Texas and extreme western Louisiana face the most serious threat of severe weather on Tuesday. Large hail, lightning, and wind gusts as strong as 80 mph are the main threats, with a few tornadoes also possible. White House Announces Action to Modernize Electric Grid and Reduce Outages
White House Announces Action to Modernize Electric Grid and Reduce Outages
As Texas continues to recover from the destruction, officials and residents brace for more potential severe weather in the coming days.
