On May 18, 2024, Houston and its surrounding areas experienced a series of devastating storms that resulted in power outages, damage to buildings, and unfortunately, fatalities. According to various sources including Fox26Houston and ABC13,
Two tornadoes were confirmed in the Houston area on May 16. The first one touched down near the intersection of Tuckerton and Greenhouse Roads in Cypress at 6:08 p.m., with peak winds reaching 110 mph. This tornado damaged numerous single-family homes, leaving roof damage and broken windows in its wake.
The second tornado hit Pine Island in Waller County at 5:44 p.m., with peak winds of 100 mph. This tornado destroyed a large metal barn and caused trailers to roll over, leaving a path of destruction that was 0.71 miles long and had a maximum width of 100 yards.
The storms also brought hurricane-force winds that affected CenterPoint Energy's transmission and distribution electric system in various areas including Bellaire, Cypress, Baytown, Greenspoint, Humble, and Spring Branch. The utility reported over 520,000 customers without power as of 10 p.m. on May 18.
The hardest-hit area was likely over the Highway 290 Corridor from Jersey Village to Waller.
Some Houston residents compared the wind sounds to a freight train coming through, and gusts likely reached 90 mph during the derecho in Houston. Pat and Marilyn Williams, owners of Krab Junkie in Houston, had to quickly get their customers and staff to safety as wind-whipped debris flew outside the building. Pat Williams had never experienced a tornado before, but this storm was worse than Hurricane Alicia in his opinion.
Approximately 90 of Houston Independent School District's more than 270 schools do not have power. A decision on whether there will be school on Monday will depend on the electricity situation.
At least seven people have been killed by destructive storms in the Houston area, with three more storm-related deaths reported: one man collapsed while trying to move a downed electrical pole, and two others died from lightning strikes or fires caused by power outages.
As officials assess the damage and work to restore power, residents in the Southeast and Gulf Coast face a severe weather threat through Saturday that could bring another round of excessive rainfall and severe thunderstorms.
