A widespread storm system hit Houston on Thursday leaving a path of destruction from Cypress to the East End.

Peaking around 110 mph, the storm’s gale force winds mangled 10 power transmission towers, knocked out power for 1 million CenterPoint customers and left at least seven dead.

Across the region, Houstonians were left to pick up the pieces as dark storm clouds gave way to an overcast Friday morning. Abdelraoufsinno’s photojournalists documented the storm’s path throughout Harris County — depicting first responders clearing debris, elected officials calling for order, people managing the heat without electricity and residents wearily surveying the damage.

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Photo essay: Widespread storms tear through Houston, region begins recovery

by Marie D. De Jesús / Staff photographer, Antranik Tavitian / Staff photographer and Meridith Kohut / Independent photographer, Abdelraoufsinno
May 19, 2024

<h1>Photo essay: Widespread storms tear through Houston, region begins recovery</h1> <p class="byline">by Marie D. De Jesús / Staff photographer, Antranik Tavitian / Staff photographer and Meridith Kohut / Independent photographer, Abdelraoufsinno <br />May 19, 2024</p> <p>A widespread storm system hit Houston on Thursday leaving a path of destruction from Cypress to the East End.&nbsp;</p> <p>Peaking around 110 mph, the storm’s gale force winds mangled 10 power transmission towers, knocked out power for 1 million CenterPoint customers and left at least seven dead.</p> <p>Across the region, Houstonians were left to pick up the pieces as dark storm clouds gave way to an overcast Friday morning. Abdelraoufsinno’s photojournalists documented the storm’s path throughout Harris County — depicting first responders clearing debris, elected officials calling for order, people managing the heat without electricity and residents wearily surveying the damage.</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/2023/04/20240516_STORM_MDJ_04.jpg" 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-image-30145" /></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) Downed powerlines off House and Hahl Road near Cypress Creek after a storm rolled through Thursday evening, May 16, 2024. 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 seven people. 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 damage 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> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_06.jpg" alt="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." class="wp-image-30208" /><figcaption class="wp-element-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> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_16.jpg" alt="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." class="wp-image-30218" /><figcaption class="wp-element-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> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_958.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30317" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_705.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30315" /></figure><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">(Left photo)A bouquet of flowers, pictured on Friday, May 17, 2024, honors Christin Martinez, a mother of four killed by Thursday’s storm. The East End resident is one of seven Houstonians who died from the intense storm. (Right photo) A pole with lines blocks South Jensen Drive in East End, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston after Thursday’s storm caused infrastructure damage across the region. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_05.jpg" alt="People survey a partially collapsed section of Conejo Malo in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-image-30207" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People survey a partially collapsed section of Conejo Malo in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <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/2024/05/20240517_STORM_MDJ_1147.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30357" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_17.jpg" alt="A worker clears damaged windows in the CenterPoint Energy Plaza building in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-image-30219" /></figure><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">(Left photo) Street signs down on the corner of Bridge Creek Terrace Drive and Westgreen Blvd. in Cypress, Friday, May 17, 2024. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno) A worker clears damaged windows in the CenterPoint Energy Plaza building downtown on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_1049.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30328" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A man walks by a fallen billboard on Friday, May 17, 2024, a day after storms caused damage to the area and killed at least four people. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_775.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30316" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_08.jpg" alt="Debris after the storm on Louisiana Street in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-image-30210" /></figure><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">(Left photo) Houston Police Department patrol car lights are seen through raindrops on Friday, May 17, 2024, after a deadly storm passed through the greater Houston area Thursday evening. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno) Debris after the storm on Louisiana Street in downtown, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_AT_11.jpg" alt="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." class="wp-image-30213" /><figcaption class="wp-element-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> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240517_STORM_MDJ_305.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30369" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240517_STORM_MDJ_475_1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30368" /></figure><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">A Union Pacific maintenance worker looks at a railroad crossing gate, which Thursday’s storm lodged onto a nearby fiber optic cable pole on the East End. Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240519_SENIOR-LIVING_AT_08.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30441" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stacey Pakosta, 62, at right, delivers a meal to her friend Willie Smith, 65, who just had back surgery and is unable to walk to get food at Heights House, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240519_SENIOR-LIVING_AT_13.jpg" alt="Joel Torres, a maintenance worker, grabs a bottle of water for a resident from a stack of donated packs at Houston Heights Tower, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Houston." class="wp-image-30446" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240519_STORM_MDJ_01.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30458" /></figure><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">(Left photo) Joel Torres, a maintenance worker, grabs a bottle of water for a resident from a stack of donated packs at Houston Heights Tower on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Abdelraoufsinno) (Right photo) Laura Infante, 55, points a flashlight into a freezer filled with food spoiling because the household doesn’t have electricity to keep their supplies refrigerated, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20240517_STORM_MDJ_970.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30334" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">View of downtown Houston skyline a day after a deadly storm killed seven people, pictured Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Abdelraoufsinno)</figcaption></figure> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://abdelraoufsinno.com/photo-essay-widespread-storms-tear-through-houston-region-begins-recovery/">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=30345&amp;ga4=" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p> Copy to Clipboard

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