Severe Storms Leave Damage Across Southeast Texas, Thousands Without Power
Powerful storms swept through the Houston area Saturday night, leaving a trail of damage across several communities and knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers. The National Weather Service is working to determine whether the damage was caused by straight-line winds or tornadoes.
Meteorologist Pat Cavlin was tracking the severe weather as it moved through the region, noting wind gusts reached nearly 70 miles per hour in some areas. While the immediate threat has passed, crews are now focused on clearing debris and restoring electricity.
Damage Reports
Damage reports began surfacing Saturday evening, painting a picture of widespread impact. Here’s a breakdown of what has been reported so far:
Splendora
- Trees down
- Power lines down
- A roof wrapped in debris
Sugar Land
- Damage to a garage door
- A fence knocked down
Pearland
- Damage reported at Barbara Cockrell Elementary School
- Fences down
- Trampolines blown into structures
Webster
- A staircase damaged or destroyed at a motel
As of late Saturday, CenterPoint Energy reported over 11,800 customers without power, a number that climbed to 28,000 by Sunday morning. Crews are working to restore electricity as quickly and safely as possible, but the extent of the damage may lead to prolonged outages in some areas.
Residents are urged to exercise caution around downed power lines and treat intersections without power as four-way stops. Anyone encountering a fallen power line should stay back and immediately report it to CenterPoint Energy.
The National Weather Service will conduct surveys to assess the damage and determine whether it was the result of straight-line winds or tornadoes. The findings will help officials understand the nature of the storms and improve future preparedness efforts.
Despite the damage, forecasters are predicting beautiful weather to move into the area, offering a welcome change after the turbulent storms. However, officials continue to monitor the system for any potential additional rounds of storms.
