CNN
—
Hurricane-force winds and torrential rain destroyed roads in Houston on Thursday, killing at least four people. It's part of a severe storm system that is causing life-threatening flooding and power outages in parts of the South.
Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña said in advance that one person was believed to have been killed when a crane toppled over due to strong winds, and two others were killed by falling trees.
In Houston, intense storms blew out windows on high-rise buildings, partially collapsed a nightclub and tore off the roof of the Hyatt Regency downtown, raining rain and debris into hotel lobbies, according to eyewitness video.
Mayor John Whitmire announced that all non-essential workers will be urged to stay home tomorrow and the city's schools will be closed as widespread power outages have left the city in darkness and traffic lights out of service. He said it would be. He added that streets were littered with debris, fallen trees and power lines, and glass from broken windows was scattered across downtown.
Power outages left about 1 million homes and businesses in darkness across Texas on Thursday.is more than Storms also hit Louisiana, leaving 100,000 people in the dark.
The Weather Prediction Center said parts of Texas and western Louisiana were at Level 4 of a four-point risk level for heavy rain on Thursday. More than 600,000 people live in high-risk areas.
Severe flooding is prompting water rescues in at least one Texas city. Police said as many as 20 motorists had to be rescued from rising waters in Bryan, about 160 miles northwest of Houston.
high risk day According to WPC, such damage occurs on only 4% of days a year, but accounts for more than 80% of all flood damage and more than one-third of flood deaths in the United States. This has been reached just three days this year, including the most recent day almost three weeks ago.
This is a sign that the atmosphere is poised to dump unusual amounts of rain, a phenomenon that is becoming more frequent in a warming world caused by human-induced climate change.
Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 6 inches are expected from Texas to Georgia into Saturday morning. More than 8 inches of rain could fall in some locations hit by multiple severe storms. It's not out of the question that close to a foot of rain could be recorded at one or two locations within about 48 hours.
Texas and Louisiana have been hit by relentless rain since early April. According to the WPC, rainfall in the flooded areas over the past two weeks has been more than 600% of normal levels.
Double-digit rainfall totals of 20 to 30 inches have been occurring across the region in recent weeks, flooding the ground, swollen rivers and raising the threat of flooding to extreme levels.
WPC warned Thursday morning that wet soils are not expected to absorb much of Thursday's rainfall. Widespread flash flooding is possible minutes after heavy rain begins.
The storm roared through parts of Texas Thursday afternoon, prompting flash flood warnings for several cities, including Waco. A powerful, severe storm will move south and east, reaching Louisiana and Mississippi later in the day.
About 10 million people were under tornado watches in parts of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana, through 10 p.m. CT Thursday.
A large cluster of thunderstorms moved into the region Thursday afternoon, bringing the threat of severe storms in the strongest cells, as well as the threat of flash flooding from heavy rain. A few tornadoes are possible, scattered damaging wind gusts could reach 110 mph, and isolated hail up to 2 inches in diameter is possible.
More than 800,000 power outages have been reported in Harris County, where Houston is located, according to PowerOutage.us. Harris County is her third most populous county in the United States.
A tornado warning was in effect early Thursday evening for Harris County, which includes downtown Houston, the National Weather Service said. The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Houston with the highest level tag of “destructive.”
Around 6:30 p.m., the National Weather Service in Houston called for residents to evacuate immediately, noting that a “devastating storm” with wind gusts of up to 130 mph was forming over the metropolitan area. In the post of X.
Wind speeds in the city were reported to have reached 111 miles per hour, the weather bureau said. Winds of up to 128 mph were reported on the east side of the city.
Winds exceeding 114 miles per hour are equivalent to the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.
Video shared with CNN on Thursday showed heavy rain and power outages affecting the downtown area of Houston. The roof of the downtown Hyatt He Regency was partially torn off, sending rain and debris into the hotel. the witness said. Wind howls could be heard in the city's Heights neighborhood.
According to CNN affiliate KPRC, multiple steel transmission towers were destroyed by the storm. Traffic was halted on a portion of Route 290 as firefighters removed railroad tracks that were hanging over the roadway.
Rain poured onto the streets and the city's Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros prepared to take on the Oakland Athletics.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire advised residents to stay off the roads.
“The Mayor and first responders are asking Houstonians to stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel. Downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees have made many roads impassable,” the Mayor's Office said. said in a statement Thursday night. “There are widespread power outages and damage reported across the city. We are working with Centerpoint, METRO and other community partners to keep everyone safe.”
The most severe storms could produce up to 3 inches of rainfall per hour, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding, according to the WPC. Damaging winds, hail, and a few tornadoes are also possible.
The greatest risk of flooding will come later Thursday as the storm moves in. Training storms hit the same area over and over again, causing flooding, much like a train pulling cars over the same tracks.
Severe flash flooding is possible in areas hit by multiple storms that dump 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour. Roads can quickly become rivers, and small rivers can easily overflow their banks.
View this interactive content on CNN.com
On Thursday, more than 35 million people in the south were under heavy rain risk level 4/4 or level 3. Many areas may only be able to withstand one heavy rainstorm, but given the recent amount of rain in the South, even a short period of heavy rain is enough to cause flooding problems.
The flooding storm will move eastward on Friday, targeting more areas of the Gulf Coast.
Significant areas of Mississippi and Alabama will be at Level 3/4 for heavy rain on Friday. A broader area from the Texas-Louisiana border to the Georgia-Florida panhandle is at Level 2/4 risk.
Heavy rain from Thursday night could continue into parts of the Gulf Coast into Friday morning. The first round of flash flooding could occur early Friday, with rain likely to begin to ease in the afternoon.
Heavy rain is expected to occur again on Friday night and continue into the early hours of Saturday, potentially causing work to occur in the same areas affected earlier in the day. These storms could bring rainfall of 2 to 3 inches per hour, and ongoing flooding could quickly resume or worsen.
The rain will only add to already abnormal rainfall in what has already been one of the wettest years on record across the Gulf Coast.
Some cities in the Southeast recorded more than half a foot of rainfall above the typical rainfall in the first few months of the year.
Dozens of cities from Texas to western Georgia are on track to rank among the top five wettest years on record, with at least two cities in eastern Texas on track to rank among the five wettest years on record, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. It has experienced its wettest year. Dallas is having its third wettest year of the year, and Shreveport, Louisiana is having its second wettest year.
CNN Weather
Many cities in the Southeast have experienced well-above-average rainfall so far this year. Data is valid as of May 16th.
Excess rainfall has largely eliminated aridity and drought conditions along the Gulf Coast, but it has come at a cost.
Earlier this month, nearly two feet of rain fell in just five days, leaving parts of East Texas underwater. Hundreds of people and animals were rescued from flooding as river levels in some areas rose to levels not seen since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
