### Devastating Storms Sweep Through Texas and Louisiana, Leaving Destruction and Power Outages
A series of powerful storms, accompanied by hurricane-force winds, wreaked havoc across Texas and Louisiana, resulting in fatalities, widespread damage, and massive power outages. The storms, which initially hit downtown Houston, Texas, on Thursday, claimed at least four lives and disrupted power for hundreds of thousands, before moving into Louisiana on Friday, causing further destruction. The severe weather conditions led to the collapse of structures, blocked roads with debris, and left many without essential services. Authorities and emergency services have been responding to the crisis, amidst warnings of more storms and potential flooding in the Gulf Coast region.
A series of powerful storms, featuring hurricane-force winds, wreaked havoc across Texas and Louisiana, resulting in at least four fatalities and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity. The storms initially hit Texas and downtown Houston on Thursday, causing widespread destruction, before moving into Louisiana on Friday, exacerbating the damage.
In Houston, the mayor’s spokesperson, Mary Benton, confirmed to CNN that at least four people lost their lives due to the severe weather conditions. The Houston Fire Department Chief, Samuel Peña, reported that fallen trees were responsible for two of the deaths, while a crane accident claimed another life.
The storms caused significant damage in downtown Houston, shattering skyscraper windows, damaging buildings, and littering streets with debris and fallen trees. This destruction led to blocked roadways and compromised power lines.
Over 650,000 homes and businesses in Harris County, Houston, were left without power early Friday, contributing to the nearly 800,000 outages across Texas. Louisiana also experienced power outages, affecting an additional 150,000 properties, as reported by PowerOutage.us.
The power outages raised concerns about the lack of cooling options for residents as temperatures were expected to soar into the 90s over the weekend. Houston’s power provider and the National Weather Service in Houston warned of extended outages due to the damage to power and transmission lines.
Further storms threatened the Gulf Coast on Friday, with the National Weather Service in New Orleans reporting hurricane-force wind gusts in both Texas and Louisiana. The severe weather also led to major flooding, necessitating numerous water rescues in areas like Bryan, Texas, and causing widespread rainfall and flooding across several counties.
The relentless storms prompted Texas Governor Greg Abbott to request a presidential disaster declaration due to the extensive damage and flooding caused by the severe weather that began on April 26.
In response to the widespread damage, Houston’s mayor urged residents to stay home and avoid the dangerous roads. The Houston Independent School District and several other districts announced closures on Friday to ensure safety.
The storms continued to pose a threat with ongoing severe weather conditions along the Gulf Coast, including a risk of severe thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, hail, and potential tornadoes across southern Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida. Flooding remained a concern, with heavy rainfall expected to continue, potentially exacerbating the situation in the affected regions.