In the early hours of May 29, 2024, Texas was once again battered by severe weather. The storms brought hurricane-force wind gusts of up to 77mph (123km/h) and golf ball-sized hail, leaving hundreds of thousands without power in the Dallas metro area and eastern Texas.
At least one person was killed in a structure collapse in the Houston area due to the storms. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins signed a disaster declaration as officials assessed the damage caused by broken power lines brought about by straight-line winds.
The latest round of storms follows several weekend storms that killed at least 24 people across five states, including Texas. Of those killed were three children - a two-year-old and a five-year-old who belonged to the same family, and another nine-year-old. More than 200 homes or structures were destroyed and another 120 were damaged.
The Dallas County Judge noted that power restoration could take several days due to the extensive damage caused by the storms. Nearly a third of those without power were in Dallas County, with hundreds of flights out of Dallas also delayed or cancelled as a result.
Tornadoes and flooding residential streets were reported throughout the city, with downed trees and power lines adding to the chaos. The National Weather Service issued warnings in Dallas and surrounding areas due to the heavy thunderstorms.
The storm damage is expected to continue into Wednesday morning, with potential flash flooding in northern and central Texas, as well as parts of southern Oklahoma.
This month has been described as the most active May for severe weather in 13 years by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. The Atlantic hurricane season is also predicted to be an 'extraordinary' one, beginning next month.
