New ‘apocalyptic’ images show severe storm damage in Houston

The Conejo Malo club on May 17, 2024, a day after the National Weather Service warned of “severe” thunderstorms and possible tornadoes.

New images shared on social media show some of the damage Houston suffered when severe thunderstorms blew through southeast Texas on Thursday, May 16.

At least four people died from storms, Houston mayor says John Whitmire » said during a press conference on Friday, May 17. Whitmire described the storms to reporters as “fierce,” “intense” and “fast-moving,” and said they left many people in the area without the time they needed to “get out of harm’s way.” “.

“People were scared last night,” he said. “And they had a right to be afraid.”

A video montage shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Colin Rugg shared some of the “apocalyptic scenes” seen across the city after Thursday’s storms. In one clip, water poured into what looked like an indoor shopping mall as people ran for cover. Another clip showed glass inside a store or restaurant shattering, with large shards sent into the air as people shouted at others to “get away from the glass.”

One clip showed a downtown nightclub called Conejo Malo significantly damaged, with much of the building’s interior exposed while much of the exterior appeared to have been peeled away. Additional footage showed dozens of windows of a downtown skyscraper smashed into oblivion, the result of strong winds that hit the city’s epicenter and many surrounding suburbs.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado with maximum winds of 110 miles per hour touched down northwest of Houston in Cypress. Wind speeds in downtown Houston peaked at around 100 miles per hour, according to weather experts.

As the city went into recovery mode Friday, Whitmire warned it could take “days, if not weeks” to restore power to all customers affected by storm-related power outages. First responders repaired downed power lines Friday while glass and other debris littered the roads.

In response to storm damage, Whitmire sign a local disaster declaration Friday afternoon to bolster resources for the city’s response efforts.

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