At least four people were killed and more than 800,000 homes and businesses were left without power after a severe thunderstorm with hurricane-like winds struck Houston on Thursday.
Severe thunderstorms and hurricane like winds killed at least four people in Houston on Thursday.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s office confirmed that at least four people were killed by the “exceptionally strong storm” as he urged people to stay at home and stay off the roads.
Whitmire said wind speeds from the storm reached up to 100 mph, comparable to the strength of Hurricane Ike which struck the city in 2008.
The strong winds downed several power lines, leaving at least 802,000 homes and businesses in Harris County, and more than 925,000 customers across southeastern Texas without power, according to Poweroutage.us.
The severe winds blew out hundreds of windows of high-rise buildings in the city’s downtown area and baseball fans attending Houston Astros’ home game against Oakland Athletics reported water falling through the roof of Minute Maid Park.
The Houston Independent School District said school campuses across the city will remain closed on Friday due to “widespread damage.”
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