Ferocious thunderstorms brought chaos to Houston on Thursday, with at least four people killed and almost 1 million homes and businesses left without power as hurricane-speed winds ripped down trees and damaged buildings while torrential rains flooded the streets.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed the fatalities at an evening briefing. He also advised workers to stay at home Friday and said school classes are also canceled. “Stay at home tonight,” Whitmire said. “Don’t go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker.”
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said early information suggested that two of the deaths were caused by falling trees. A third was caused by a crane being “blown over” by the strong winds, Peña added. No information was given about how the fourth victim was killed.
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“We have a storm with 100 miles per hour winds, the equivalent of Hurricane Ike,” Whitmire said, adding that “some twisters” also hit. He said there is “considerable damage downtown” that has left broken glass on the ground, calling the area a “mess.”
He also said officials were struggling Thursday night with “traffic control,” as most of the traffic lights across the city stopped functioning and would remain offline for hours. Whitmire praised the “courageous” actions of firefighters who had endangered their lives to clear live wires off of Route 290.
First responders are now working “around the clock” to bring people to safety amid the destruction, Whitemire said.
Videos and images of the damage were shared online as the storm raged. Terrifying footage purporting to show the scene at the Wells Fargo Plaza in the downtown area showed swirling debris and windows breaking in the howling gales. Other clips showed roads and sidewalks sparkling with shards of glass. Rain also reportedly poured into Minute Maid Park despite the retractable roof being closed.
The Houston Independent School District announced that campuses would be closed to its hundreds of thousands of students Friday due to “widespread damage across Houston.”
Flights were also temporarily grounded at Houston’s two major airports. Bush International Airport warned that delays “are expected” even after the storm had started to clear, while William P. Hobby Airport gave a similar update to travelers.
“Please do not drive in Downtown Houston tonight, or for that matter, anywhere else in the region that sustained storm damage,” the National Weather Service office in Houston said. “Widespread debris, glass and electrical lines are in the streets.”
