On May 19, 2024, Houston experienced a devastating storm that brought hurricane-force winds and caused significant damage to the area. The death toll from the storm continued to rise as millions of people were left without power.
According to reports, Kassimer Doynov's three-story Sycamore tree was uprooted and damaged his house in The Heights neighborhood after a neighbor's tree fell and knocked it over. The removal of the giant tree required a 175-foot crane due to its size and weight.
Meanwhile, CenterPoint Energy reported that approximately 216,000 customers were without power as of 1 p.m. on May 20, with crews encountering significant damage and difficult restorations in areas including Bellaire, Spring Branch, The Heights, Lazybrook/Timbergrove, Cottage Grove, Cypress, Baytown, Greenspoint and Humble.
Some customers may not have their power restored even if others do nearby due to 'nested outages' or different electrical circuits with varying levels of damage or repair timelines.
The City of Houston and other organizations have opened distribution centers around the city to help those in need, including The Salvation Army, Latter Day Saints Church, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and Guadalupe Center.
The National Weather Service reported that a tornado touched down near Cypress on Thursday night. Teams were surveying other areas around Houston to determine if damage there had been caused by a tornado or strong winds.
As officials began to clean up the damage, Mayor John Whitmire of Houston said investigators were trying to determine whether a fifth death was related to the weather. It could take several weeks for power to be restored to some customers.
For updates on this developing story, follow ABC13 and KTRK-TV.
