Houston weather: Flooding could hit Gulf Coast after storms kill at least 4 people, damage buildings and leave many without power

CNN
—

Storms battered Texas and Louisiana Thursday night and Friday morning with damaging winds and torrential rain, leaving at least four dead, flooded roads and more than a million homes and businesses without power – and more. Further flooding could devastate parts of the Gulf Coast on Friday.

At least four people died in the severe weather that hit Houston, Mary Benton, the mayor’s communications chief, told CNN. Fallen trees appear to have caused two of the deaths, and a crane accident caused another, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said at a news conference Thursday evening.

The severe weather caused widespread damage to buildings in Houston, blocked roads with fallen trees and debris and mangled power lines, leaving many residents in the dark. More than 892,000 homes and businesses were without power in Texas and more than 211,000 in Louisiana as of Friday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

The storm was so powerful that it blew out windows of buildings in downtown Houston, littering the area with glass as traffic lights went out. Shoppers at a Costco in Houston used their phones as the only source of light as they huddled in the darkness inside the store when the power went out, with employees closing the doors to block out the rain and the wind.

Severe storms will move east Friday and target more of the Gulf Coast after coming to life Thursday afternoon in parts of Texas. The large cluster of thunderstorms brought a threat of flash flooding due to heavy downpours and severe storm dangers in the strongest cells.

More than 30 million people are at risk of severe weather Friday in parts of the Gulf Coast, with 1 million people under a Level 3 of 4 moderate risk of excessive precipitation.

View this interactive content on CNN.com

Significant portions of Mississippi and Alabama are under a moderate risk of excessive precipitation Friday. A larger area from the Texas-Louisiana border to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle is at Level 2 of 4 risk.

Severe storms will likely last into Friday morning across parts of the Gulf Coast. A first wave of flash flooding is likely in the first half of Friday before the rain begins to ease in the afternoon.

Another heavy rain will develop Friday evening and continue into the early hours of Saturday morning, working over the same areas affected earlier in the day. These storms could produce precipitation of 2 to 3 inches per hour and quickly restart or worsen ongoing flooding.

Rainfall totals of 2 to 6 inches are expected from Texas to Georgia through Saturday morning. Some areas affected by multiple torrential storms may receive 8 inches or more of rain. Some areas could see nearly a foot of rain in about 48 hours.

Here’s the latest on the ongoing storms in the southern United States:

Tornadoes could swirl in some areas: A tornado watch is in effect until 3 a.m. CT Friday for parts of southeast Louisiana. Surveillance covers more than 2.5 million people and includes the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Excessive rain and violent storms threaten the South again: “Heavy to excessive precipitation is forecast over eastern Louisiana into central Alabama, which could cause flash, urban and river flooding on Friday,” the National Weather Service said. “Scattered severe thunderstorms with a few tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds are possible across parts of the Gulf Coast states Friday and Friday evening.”

Most of Houston’s traffic lights are out: Traffic lights throughout the city are out and debris from damaged buildings and toppled trees covers the roads, making driving conditions hazardous. “The city center is a mess. It is dangerous because of the windows and lack of traffic lights. So stay home,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Thursday.

View this interactive content on CNN.com

Major flooding leads to water rescues: As major flooding hit Bryan, Texas, on Thursday, police spokesman Seth Waller said there were up to 20 water rescues after residents threw themselves into the water. water. Nearby in College Station, videos shared with CNN on Thursday showed heavy rain flooding an area park.

Floods flood the roads: Several roads closed in northern and eastern Bosque County, Texas due to water flowing through railroad crossings or bridges. Several roads were also flooded throughout Bell County. McLennan and Falls counties also reported road flooding.

Hurricane-force wind gusts reported in Texas and Louisiana: The National Weather Service in New Orleans reported high winds of up to 84 mph. Wind gusts measuring 78 mph were also recorded near the San Jacinto River on I-10 and 74 mph in Channelview, Harris County, Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Severe storms in Houston blew out skyscraper windows, partially collapsed a nightclub and partially tore off the roof of the downtown Hyatt Regency, flooding the hotel lobby with rain and debris, according to video from a witness. CenterPoint Energy says its downtown Houston skyscraper suffered storm damage, according to a spokesperson.

Several steel electricity transmission towers in Houston were also destroyed by the storms, CNN affiliate KPRC reported. Along a portion of U.S. Highway 290, traffic was halted as firefighters cleared fallen lines covering the roadway.

The weather service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning with the highest “destructive” level for Houston, urging residents to immediately take shelter in a post on X. Winds of up to 78 mph were reported on the east side of the city.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire advised residents to stay off the roads and stay home. Most traffic lights in the city are out and it could take 24 to 48 hours for power to be restored.

“The Mayor and first responders are asking Houstonians to stay off the roads and avoid unnecessary travel. Many roads are impassable due to downed power lines, debris and fallen trees,” the mayor’s office said in a statement Thursday evening.

The Houston Independent School District announced campuses would be closed Friday and reopen next week. “Due to widespread damage in Houston, HISD has coordinated with the City of Houston and is closing all campuses on Friday, May 17. Schools will reopen on Monday, May 20,” the school district said in a Facebook post.

More than a dozen Houston-area school districts also announced their closures Friday, including Aldine Independent School District, Channelview Independent School District and Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.

Texas has been in the thick of seemingly incessant waves of flooding. On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott requested a presidential disaster declaration for areas of the state impacted by recent bouts of severe weather and flooding. He said there was “significant damage from these severe storms, historic flooding and tornadoes” that began on April 26.