A massive storm wreaked havoc across Houston Thursday evening as a storm with 80 mph winds swept through the city.
For a brief period just before 7 p.m., the city was under a tornado warning. The high winds were accompanied by heavy rain and intense lightning storms.
The storm lasted around an hour, but the disruption and destruction it caused will likely last far longer. Many businesses and residences lost power for the remainder of the evening.
The Best Buy on Richmond Avenue lost power and closed early. The surrounding area’s traffic lights were mostly disabled. Given the failures, Houstonians mostly directed themselves through traffic. A few surviving traffic lights blinked red.
Nearby apartment buildings were similarly shrouded in darkness. Multiple multi-story housing complexes had few, if any, lights on in their interiors. Exterior lights were generally out on Richmond Avenue.
Power outages affected pockets throughout the city, as neighborhoods experienced varying degrees of power.
There was considerable damage to commercial property. Downtown Houston’s skyscrapers shed millions of pieces of glass onto the street as windows shattered, leaving shards crunching under car tires and the roads shimmering in the light as motorists passed through the area.
Public property was also damaged. The Dallas Express witnessed multiple street signs that had fallen onto the road due to the fierce winds.
Numerous tree branches were also downed in the storm and obstructed many roads.
Houston ISD announced district-wide school closures for Friday in response to the destruction, ABC 13 reported.
Gulf Coast storms have left at least four dead and over 1 million residents without power across Texas and Louisiana, reported CNN.