Once-in-a-generation wind event causes death, significant damage in Houston, meteorologist says

Freaky windstorms that could leave some Houston residents without power for weeks are a once-in-a-generation event and the damage left in their wake is comparable to that caused by a hurricane, meteorologists said Friday.

“We believe this windstorm is the strongest windstorm likely for the Houston area since Hurricane Alicia in 1983,” said Janice Maldonado, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office.

At least four people died after storms hit Houston on Thursday. High winds bent transmission towers, blew out windows and uprooted trees.

The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that an EF1 tornado touched down near Cypress, in the northwest suburbs of Houston, and crews were investigating several other possible tornadoes in the area. Straight-line winds gusting to more than 80 mph in a single direction were blamed for the damage, Maldonado said.

“The environment yesterday in Southeast Texas was very favorable for these conditions,” Maldonado said, citing wind shear, a cold front and humidity in the atmosphere.

The storm was extreme, even for Houstonians accustomed to bad weather.

“I would say this is… a generational wind event for Houston. I mean, you don’t see this kind of thing very often, unless of course you’re in a hurricane or a tornado,” said Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University.

It was what meteorologists call a microburst, which is like “pouring pancake batter on a hot plate… it hits the ground and then goes out in all directions,” Gensini said.

Severe weather events raise questions about the role of global warming. After all, most people are experiencing climate change because of climate change, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit organization with a team of scientists who study and analyze climate change. Extensive scientific research indicates that storms will become more intense, for example dropping more rain, as the atmosphere warms and retains more water vapor.

The effect of climate change on thunderstorms is less clear than on other weather events, such as heat waves or hurricanes. Gensini explained that this is because the storms are short-lived and cover relatively short distances.

“Imagine if you had a telescope, it would be relatively easy, depending on the power of your telescope, to see Jupiter. But if your telescope had the same power and you’re trying to spot one of Jupiter’s moons, it’s a little more difficult,” he said.

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This story has been corrected to show that the Houston suburb hit by a tornado is Cypress, not Cyprus.