At least four people died as a result of Thursday evening's powerful storm in Houston, according to Mayor John Whitmire's office. The impact was such that 850,000 homes are without electricity. Officials urged residents to keep off roads, as many were impassable and traffic lights were expected to be out for much of the night. “Stay at home tonight, do not go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in an evening briefing.
“Our first responders will be working around the clock.” Streets were flooded, and trees and power lines were down across the region. Whitmire said wind speeds reached 100 mph (160 kph), “with some twisters.” Hundreds of windows were shattered at downtown hotels and office buildings, with glass littering the streets below, and the state was sending Department of Public Safety officers to secure the area. “Downtown is a mess,” Whitmire said.
There was a backlog of 911 calls that first responders were working through, he added. The storm system moved through swiftly, but flood watches and warnings remained for Houston and areas to the east. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for large swaths of Louisiana Flights were briefly grounded at Houston's two major airports. Sustained winds topping 60 mph (96 kph) were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.