Severe storms tore through the Houston area Thursday evening, causing widespread damage, killing at least four people and leaving nearly 900,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power. 

Fierce winds knocked over power lines, blew out windows and toppled trees. The National Weather Service said gusts of about 60 mph to 75 mph were measured, with the highest winds reported at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William Hobby Airport, Cypress and east Harris County.

“We've had, unfortunately, four fatalities,” Mayor John Whitmire said at a news briefing. “We're still in recovery mode.” Whitmire said winds reached as high as 100 mph in some places.

With much of the city without power, Houston ISD canceled class for Friday after coordinating with city officials. Cy-Fair, Goose Creek and Spring Branch school districts also canceled Friday classes.

“Downtown is a mess,” said Whitmire, who encouraged the business community to allow employees to work from home while city crews cleaned up debris and broken glass on streets and sidewalks.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who was in Washington when the storm struck, said multiple transmission towers had collapsed in the western portion of the county, and it was unclear how long it will take to clean up roadways and restore power.

“What we know so far is that at least four people are reported dead, there are widespread power outages and infrastructure damage to the power grid, as well as significant property damage.” Hidalgo said in a statement Thursday night.

While the worst of the storm is over, Houston Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Brent Taylor warned that Houstonians should stay home for the night.

“Stay off the roads. Don’t go out. The storm itself has passed but that does not necessarily mean it is safe to drive,” Taylor said. “Right now, unless you are absolutely critical or a first responder, you need to stay home or stay where you are.”

Anastasia Gill said she was just trying to get home when the storm barreled through.

The 38-year-old was driving home to her house in Shepherd Forest after picking her car up from the repair shop when the tornado warning flashed across her cell phone.

The sky turned dark. The stoplights went out at the exact same time. The car began to shake. Gill pulled over as hail began to pelt her windshield.

“(My neighbor) who lives across the street called me and said, ’Hey, there’s a big tree on your house,’” Gill said. A massive oak from her backyard had smashed into the roof.

Taylor said officials will start looking into the “recovery process” once debris and damages are cleared. In the meantime, Whitmire also urged residents to avoid all unnecessary travel.

As of 8:30 p.m., more than 896,500 customers were impacted by widespread power outages, according to CenterPoint’s outage tracker. That’s more than 40 percent of the utility’s nearly 2 million customers.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s spokesperson for emergency management said they are trying to respond as quickly as they can to people that need help.

“Everybody’s moving as fast as we can,” Spokesperson Angelica Luna Kaufman said. “Obviously, we’ve been getting a lot of reports of damage, but people are still coming out of their homes, seeing what damage is going on.”

Residents should call 311 to report downed power lines or other damages that impact safety. Only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.

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Deadly storm hits Houston area, knocking out power for nearly 900,000 CenterPoint customers

by Miranda Dunlap, Céilí Doyle and Paul Cobler, Abdelraoufsinno
May 16, 2024

<h1>Deadly storm hits Houston area, knocking out power for nearly 900,000 CenterPoint customers</h1> <p class="byline">by Miranda Dunlap, Céilí Doyle and Paul Cobler, Abdelraoufsinno <br />May 16, 2024</p> <p>Severe storms <a href="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/some-residents-could-be-without-power-for-weeks-after-deadly-storm-strikes-houston-area/">tore through the Houston area</a> Thursday evening, causing widespread damage, killing at least four people and leaving nearly 900,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power. </p> <p>Fierce winds knocked over power lines, blew out windows and toppled trees. The National Weather Service said gusts of about 60 mph to 75 mph were measured, with the highest winds reported at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William Hobby Airport, Cypress and east Harris County.</p> <p>“We've had, unfortunately, four fatalities,” Mayor John Whitmire said at a news briefing. “We're still in recovery mode.” Whitmire said winds reached as high as 100 mph in some places.</p> <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter"> <div data-effect="slide"> <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container"> <ul class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper"> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30218" data-id="30218" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_16.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">From left, Luke, 8, Ryan, 6, Jaqueline, and Tanner Muncy, 6, look at the damage and debris on Louisiana Street the morning after a storm in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30208" data-id="30208" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_06.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A car roof is flattened after bricks from a partially collapsed wall of Conejo Malo fell on it in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30211" data-id="30211" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_09.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">People looking for day work wait in line next to the damaged Well Fargo Plaza building in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30219" data-id="30219" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_17.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A worker clears damaged windows in the CenterPoint Energy Plaza building in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30210" data-id="30210" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_08.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Debris after the storm on Louisiana Street in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30213" data-id="30213" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_11.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">The Muncy family looks at damaged buildings in downtown after a storm broke windows in many of the skyscrapers on Louisiana Street, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="A pair walk down Heights Boulevard through storm debris the morning after a storm in The Heights neighborhood, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30193" data-id="30193" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_03.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A pair walk down Heights Boulevard through storm debris the morning after a storm in The Heights neighborhood, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30171" data-id="30171" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_12.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Thursday storms brought in gusts of winds up to 80 mph, damaging homes in Cypress on May 16, 2024. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="Neighbors work together to clear a fallen tree from the road in the Shepherd Forest neighborhood, after a tornado and high winds came through Houston on the evening of May 16, 2024." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30152" data-id="30152" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6951.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Neighbors work together to clear a fallen tree from the road in the Shepherd Forest neighborhood, after a tornado and high winds came through Houston on the evening of May 16, 2024. (Meridith Kohut for The Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="Thursday evening storms smashed several transmission power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30178" data-id="30178" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_542.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Thursday evening storms smashed several transmission power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30148" data-id="30148" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_06.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A man stands by a fallen branch blocks TC Jester Blvd. heading south because a large tree is impeding the roadway after a storm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="Thursday evening, storms smashed power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024," class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30181" data-id="30181" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_855.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Thursday evening, storms smashed power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="A fallen tree is lit up by emergency lights at TC Jester Blvd. on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. Severe storms left nearly 900,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power and killed at least four people." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30144" data-id="30144" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_03.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A fallen tree is lit up by emergency lights at TC Jester Blvd. on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. Severe storms left nearly 900,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power and killed at least four people. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="A person pick-ups debris from his yard after a storm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30147" data-id="30147" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_05.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A person pick-ups debris from his yard after a storm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="A fallen tree is lit up by emergency lights at TC Jester Blvd. on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. Severe storms left nearly 900,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power and killed at least four people." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30145" data-id="30145" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_04.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A fallen tree is lit up by emergency lights at TC Jester Blvd. on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. Severe storms left nearly 900,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power and killed at least four people. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="A person looks out at a fallen tree as they drive down Heights Boulevard the morning after a storm in The Heights neighborhood, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30190" data-id="30190" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_01.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A person looks out at a fallen tree as they drive down Heights Boulevard the morning after a storm in The Heights neighborhood, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30209" data-id="30209" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_07.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Debris after the storm on Louisiana Street in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30207" data-id="30207" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_05.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">People survey a partially collapsed section of Conejo Malo in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30206" data-id="30206" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_04.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">A partially collapsed section of Conejo Malo in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure><img alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-30215" data-id="30215" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_13.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">The damaged Well Fargo Plaza building in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> </li> </ul> <p><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a aria-label="Pause Slideshow" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause" role="button"></a></p> <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white"></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>With much of the city without power, Houston ISD canceled class for Friday after coordinating with city officials. Cy-Fair, Goose Creek and Spring Branch school districts also canceled Friday classes.</p> <p>“Downtown is a mess,” said Whitmire, who encouraged the business community to allow employees to work from home while city crews cleaned up debris and broken glass on streets and sidewalks.</p> <p>Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who was in Washington when the storm struck, said multiple transmission towers had collapsed in the western portion of the county, and it was unclear how long it will take to clean up roadways and restore power.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/mycahabc13/status/1791271268269838452?s=46 </div> </figure> <p>“What we know so far is that at least four people are reported dead, there are widespread power outages and infrastructure damage to the power grid, as well as significant property damage.” Hidalgo said in a statement Thursday night.</p> <p>While the worst of the storm is over, Houston Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Brent Taylor warned that Houstonians should stay home for the night.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Stay off the roads. Don’t go out. The storm itself has passed but that does not necessarily mean it is safe to drive,” Taylor said. “Right now, unless you are absolutely critical or a first responder, you need to stay home or stay where you are.”</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jmileskhou/status/1791264422289093092?s=46 </div> </figure> <p>Anastasia Gill said she was just trying to get home when the storm barreled through.</p> <p>The 38-year-old was driving home to her house in Shepherd Forest after picking her car up from the repair shop when the tornado warning flashed across her cell phone.</p> <p>The sky turned dark. The stoplights went out at the exact same time. The car began to shake. Gill pulled over as hail began to pelt her windshield.</p> <p>“(My neighbor) who lives across the street called me and said, ’Hey, there’s a big tree on your house,’” Gill said. A massive oak from her backyard had smashed into the roof.</p> <p>Taylor said officials will start looking into the “recovery process” once debris and damages are cleared. In the meantime, Whitmire also urged residents to avoid all unnecessary travel.&nbsp;</p> <p>As of 8:30 p.m., more than 896,500 customers were impacted by widespread power outages, according to CenterPoint’s outage tracker. That’s more than 40 percent of the utility’s <a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/county/1394">nearly 2 million customers</a>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_09.jpg" alt="Down powerlines off House and Hahl Road near Cypress Creek after a storm rolled through Thursday evening," class="wp-image-30177" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_16.jpg" alt="Thursday evening storms smashed several transmission power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress." class="wp-image-30175" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_02.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30143" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_980.jpg" alt="Thursday evening, storms smashed several transmission power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress." class="wp-image-30183" /></figure><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">(Clockwise) Down power lines off House and Hahl Road near Cypress Creek after a storm rolled through Thursday evening, May 16, 2024. Thursday evening, storms smashed several transmission power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress. Anastasia Gill, 38, takes a call in the darkness of her backyard after losing electricity on May 16, 2024, in Houston. The roof of her house sustained damages after a tree fell on it during the storm on Thursday. Thursday evening, storms smashed several transmission power lines near Highway 99 on May 16, 2024, in Cypress. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <p>Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s spokesperson for emergency management said they are trying to respond as quickly as they can to people that need help.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Everybody’s moving as fast as we can,” Spokesperson Angelica Luna Kaufman said. “Obviously, we’ve been getting a lot of reports of damage, but people are still coming out of their homes, seeing what damage is going on.”</p> <p>Residents should call 311 to report downed power lines or other damages that impact safety. Only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.&nbsp;</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-live-blog-updates">Live blog updates</h3> <p><em>Check here for the latest news about the deadly storm. This live blog automatically refreshes with updates.</em></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/severe-storm-hits-houston-area-knocking-out-power-for-nearly-900000-centerpoint-customers/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://abdelraoufsinno.com">Abdelraoufsinno</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/?republication-pixel=true&post=30131&amp;ga4=" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p> Copy to Clipboard

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