Powerful Texas storms kill seven
Thunderstorms have killed seven people and left over half a million homes and businesses without power in the south-east of Texas. Residents in the affected areas could be without power for weeks to come after the storm. Winds as high as 110mph (177km/h) struck the area near Houston, the state’s largest city.
The deaths were mainly due to trees and power lines knocked over by the winds, as well as lightning. The storm moved over to the neighbouring state of Louisiana as flood warnings were in place over the Gulf Coast area which stretches as far east as Georgia.
Officials announced the deaths of three additional people on Friday night, bringing the death toll to seven.
An 85-year-old woman was among them, being killed by a fire sparked by lightning. A 57-year-old man died while trying to move a damaged electrical pole and another who required oxygen was found unresponsive after he lost electricity. The earlier two people who died were killed by falling trees and another by a crane that fell over.
In a news conference on Friday, Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top government executive in Harris County, said that the region was hit by at least two tornadoes on Thursday night. In Houston, traffic lights were out of power while office windows were blown threw, sending glass across the streets of the city.
The Houston Independent School District cancelled classes on Friday as a result of the loss of power. Flash floods and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple counties, Houston’s National Weather Service office reported.
