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, while officials evaluate the damage caused by destructive storms that struck the Houston area and killed at least seven people while knocking out power amid rising temperatures. In the midst of record-breaking heat, a series of storms including a tornado and gusts of up to 100 mph caused havoc on Thursday around the Houston region, damaging many skyscrapers and causing power outages that might last for weeks.
According to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña, at least four individuals perished in Houston as a result of the storm, two of whom were killed by falling trees and one of whom died in a crane accident on Thursday.
In Harris County, three more storm-related fatalities were recorded on Friday night. According to a post on X by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, one guy fell while attempting to move a downed electrical pole, and a woman perished after lightning struck the trailer she was in and started a fire. Gonzalez stated that a different victim who had lost power was discovered unconscious on Friday morning after going outside to plug in his oxygen tank in his pickup.
"Saddening! Gonzalez expressed his sympathy to the families who lost a loved one in yesterday's tragic weather disaster.
Highs in the 90s will persist into the weekend and beyond, causing many people to lose their air conditioning. These storms will cause damage. Following the series of storms, more than 531,000 people in Harris County are still without power as of early Saturday, according to PowerOutage.us. Authorities have cautioned that it will take time to restore electricity to every subscriber.
The main electricity supplier in the region, CenterPoint Energy, reported that the storm system had "severely damaged the company's transmission and distribution power systems." According to the company, thousands of workers are being sent to assist with restoration efforts. The City of Houston opened cooling facilities for citizens on Friday due to the intense heat, according to a news release from officials. By next week, the heat index—which gauges how hot the body truly feels—could reach triple digits, increasing the danger to health posed by the worst kind of weather.
The National Weather Service issued a warning on Friday, saying, "The weather pattern is transitioning into a hot and dry pattern starting on Saturday, so it is going to be crucial to have a way to remain cool."
After touring the downtown area and declaring a local state of disaster for the city on Friday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire noted that the "devastation is significant." Whitmire added, "We implore everyone to avoid the area for their own safety and to enable public works officials to perform their essential duties." The weather agency designated the string of strong storms that crossed Texas and Louisiana on Thursday as a derecho, which is a potentially catastrophic meteorological occurrence marked by extensive wind damage connected to a persistent line of thunderstorms.
Derechos are characterized by many well-separated wind gusts over 75 mph in addition to persistent wind gusts of 58 mph or more across a distance of at least 400 miles. The decision was based on the length and difficulty of the path.
There could be further flash floods and strong winds on Saturday. The National Weather Service stated that through Saturday, there will be chances for severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall in some areas of the Southeast. The National Weather Service says that on Saturday, freshly formed thunderstorms could bring more flash flooding and severe wind gusts from the Southeast to the north-central Gulf of Mexico.
The Storm Prediction Center has declared a minor level 2 of 5 danger of severe thunderstorms on Saturday across portions of the Southeast and into the Carolinas. The center stated that on Saturday, "several to isolated severe thunderstorms appear feasible across portions of the Southeast and Carolinas, as well as parts of the Upper Midwest." "The primary threat should be damaging winds, but there may also be the occasional severe hailstorm and a few tornadoes."
The severe storm anticipated for Sunday The locations on this map indicate areas with heightened risks of severe weather, such as thunderstorms, strong winds, hail, and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.
Because of the possibility of flash, urban, and riverine flooding on Saturday, the weather service has also issued a modest level 2 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall for a portion of the northern Gulf Coast. It is also predicted that there will be heavy rains through Saturday in the middle Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic, with isolated flash floods possible.
Thunderstorms are predicted to develop across the central High Plains on Sunday and move eastward in the evening. The Storm Prediction Center has classified some areas of Nebraska and Kansas as having a minor level 2 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms, which is where there are the highest odds of severe weather. The center stated that "large hail and damaging gusts will be the greatest hazards, however a tornado or two potentially may occur." The majority of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic will have fewer odds of thunderstorms by the end of the weekend, according to the meteorological service.
No comments