Winds Over 100 Mph Hit Houston Thursday Night
Strong storms slammed the Houston metro on Thursday night, with widespread damage through downtown. On Friday afternoon the National Weather Service Office in Houston confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Cypress, TX (a suburb of Houston) along with straight-line wind damage in downtown Houston with peak winds over 100 mph. NWS also confirmed this was a "derecho" or long-track wind event that hit the city of Houston. According to the NOAA, a derecho is defined when a "swath of wind damage extends at least 400 miles (about 650 kilometers), is at least 60 miles (about 100 km) wide, includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 km/h) along most of its length, and also includes several, well-separated 75 mph (121 km/h) or greater gusts."
Thousands of windows were blown out in Downtown Houston from the pressure differences and debris. Glass was shattered across the streets.
Power outages continue to dominate the Houston area. Sadly, four people lost their lives as a result of the severe weather in the city. Emergency officials urged people to avoid driving due to damage throughout the area.
Not only was severe weather a huge threat, but widespread heavy rain led to widespread flooding in east Texas and Louisiana. In fact, the rain was so heavy that it seeped through the covered stadium the Astros play in!
