Deadly Houston storms leave city in chaos, power outages persist
Authorities in Houston have reported that at least seven people have died as a result of a wave of storms with hurricane-force winds. Videos showing the destructive power of the elements have appeared online. In one of them, you can see the wind breaking windows in a skyscraper. People in the room escape at the last moment.
1:53 PM EDT, May 18, 2024
Strong storms have shattered windows in skyscrapers, felled trees, and left nearly a million homes and businesses in the Houston area without power. Since Thursday, storms and hurricanes have been hitting southeastern Texas. The state has been struck by these elements for the second time this month. The death toll has risen to seven.
Storm warnings are now in effect from southern Louisiana to parts of Georgia and Florida. Meteorologists predict that tornadoes may also occur there.
The storms that have so far hit Houston, Texas, have been accompanied by strong winds. In gusts, they reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.
Many videos showing the destructive power of the elements have appeared online. In one of them, you can see the wind breaking windows in a skyscraper. People run away in panic. "Get away from the windows!" shouts the person filming.
Element attacked Houston. State of emergency declared
Houston Mayor John Whitmire, who signed a disaster declaration on Friday, described the damage in the city as significant.
- We are calling on everyone to stay away from these areas for safety reasons and to allow public works employees to carry out important work - emphasized Whitmire.
Storms in Houston. Power outages may last for weeks
- For some of the lucky ones, restoring power may take a few days. For many, many people, however, it will be weeks - explained Harris Lina Hidalgo from the Harris County administration during a press conference.
As Hidalgo explained, the most affected will be residents of homes and businesses connected to 10 steel transmission towers that were destroyed.
