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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Powerful storms killed at least 11 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
Seven deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park, officials said. Storms also caused damage in Oklahoma, where guests at an outdoor wedding were injured. Tens of thousands of residents were without power across the region.
“It’s just a trail of debris left. The devastation is pretty severe,” Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told The Associated Press.
The dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, the sheriff said.
Three family members in Texas were found dead in one home near the small community of Valley View, Sappington said.
Hugo Parra, who lives in Farmers Branch, north of Dallas, said he rode out the storm with about 40 to 50 people in the bathroom of a gas station.
“A firefighter came to check on us and he said, ‘You’re very lucky,’” Parra said. “The best way to describe this is the wind tried to rip us out of the bathrooms.”
Multiple people were transported to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter in Denton County, Texas, also north of Dallas. But officials did not immediately know the full extent of the injuries.
At least two people were reported killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman who was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen, with the county’s emergency management office.
Another person died in Benton County, Arkansas. Melody Kwok, a county communications director, said multiple other people were injured and that emergency workers were still responding to calls.
“We are still on search and rescue right now,” she said. “This is a very active situation.”
Officials also confirmed two deaths in Mayes County, Oklahoma. Details about the dead were not immediately available, said Mike Dunham, the county’s deputy director of emergency management.
The destruction continued a grim month of deadly severe weather in the nation’s midsection.
Tornadoes in Iowa this week left at least five people dead and dozens injured. The deadly twisters have spawned during a historically bad season for tornadoes, at a time when climate change contributes to the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.
Elsewhere in Denton County, a tornado overturned tractor-trailers and halted traffic on Interstate 35, county spokesperson Dawn Cobb said. A shelter was opened in the rural town of Sanger.
At least 60 to 80 people were inside a highway truck stop, some of them seeking shelter, when the storm barreled through, but there were no serious injuries, Sappington said.
Daybreak began to reveal the full scope of the devastation. Aerial footage showed dozens of damaged homes, including many without roofs and others reduced to rubble.
State emergency response units were activated to respond to a tornado that tore through North Texas overnight. They will continue their work today and throughout the coming weeks. I am in touch with our state emergency response team.
Cooke and Denton counties were hit the…
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) May 26, 2024
Residents woke up to overturned cars and collapsed garages. Some residents could be seen pacing around and sorting through scraps of wood, assessing the damage. Nearby, neighbors sat on the foundation of a wrecked home.
At the height of the storms, more than 24,000 homes and businesses lost power in Oklahoma, according to the state Office of Emergency Management. The agency also reported extensive damage from baseball-sized hail and multiple injuries at an outdoor wedding that was being held in rural Woods County.
Meteorologists and authorities issued urgent warnings to seek cover as the storms marched across the region overnight. “If you are in the path of this storm take cover now!” the National Weather Service office in Norman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In Texas, the Denton Fire Department posted on social media that emergency crews near Dallas were responding to a marina “for multiple victims, some reported trapped.”
Inaccessible roads and downed power lines in Oklahoma also led officials in the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, to announce on social media that the city was “shut down” due to the damage.
April and May have been a busy month for tornadoes, especially in the Midwest. Iowa was hit hard last week, when a deadly twister devastated Greenfield. Other storms brought flooding and wind damage elsewhere in the state.
The system causing the latest severe weather was expected to move east over the rest of the Memorial Day weekend.
The start of the Indianapolis 500 was expected to be delayed as a strong storm pushed into the area, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 race fans who had already.
The video boards inside the speedway flashed that a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect as the band of rain, along with dangerous wind and lightning, approached from the west.
More severe storms were predicted in Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky.
The risk of severe weather moves into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, forecasters said.
TORNADO AFTERMATH: After a deadly tornado ripped through last night. Cooke and Denton county officials say at least 7 are dead,
including children, and at least 60 are hurt. Take a look at what’s left of this gas station of I-35 at Lone Oak in Valley View. @SpectrumNews1TX pic.twitter.com/3zLkjQtSzj— Marcine Graham (@MJ_Reports) May 26, 2024
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A Powerball ticket sold in Texas matched five numbers to win $1 million, just missing the $121 million jackpot.
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A Powerball ticket sold in Texas won $1 million and narrowly missed the $121 million jackpot, lottery officials say.
The ticket matched five winning numbers but not the Powerball in the drawing Saturday, May 25, the Texas Lottery said.
Nobody won the grand prize, which rises to an estimated $131 million, with a cash value of $61.2 million, for the next drawing Monday, May 27, according to the national Powerball site.
The winning numbers were 6, 33, 35, 36 and 64, with a Powerball of 24.
The $1 million ticket was sold at a convenience store in Moore, which is about a 40-mile drive southwest of San Antonio.
More than 40,000 other Powerball tickets sold in Texas also won prizes ranging from $4 to $150,000, the state lottery said.
To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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ATLANTA (AP) — A record was broken ahead of the Memorial Day weekend for the number of airline travelers screened at U.S. airports, the Transportation Security Administration said Saturday.
More than 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Friday, surpassing a previous record set last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to the transportation security agency.
“Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!” the TSA tweeted. “We recommend arriving early.”
The third busiest day on record was set on Thursday when just under 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports.
In Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport had its busiest day ever. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport broke a traffic record on Thursday when 111,000 passengers, airlines crew and airport employees were screened at security checkpoints. The second busiest day followed on Friday when 109,960 people were screened, according to the TSA.
With 104.6 million passengers, the Atlanta airport was the busiest in the world last year, according to Airports Council International.
U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, breaking the record of 255 million set last summer.
AAA predicted this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to roam at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — 38 million of them taking vehicles.
The annual expression of wanderlust that accompanies the start of the summer travel season is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.
In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May.
Jason Redman, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, told The Associated Press last year that he honors the friends he’s lost. Thirty names are tattooed on his arm “for every guy that I personally knew that died.”
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A coyote walks along the grassy shoulder of South Ocean Blvd. near Sloan’s Curve on October 12, 2020 in Palm Beach, Florida.
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Fort Worth
Coyotes are a common sight on Texas ranch land and urban spaces. But can you kill one?
Coyote sightings around the Metroplex is a common occurrence. Just watch any neighborhood social media channel. One of the wild canines even caused an Arlington park to shut down after it attacked several children earlier this year. Last spring, a coyote was found lounging in a Fort Worth backyard seemingly enjoying a sun-filled siesta.
But the wild dogs are known to attack other animals, such as cats and small livestock. So, what exactly does Texas law have to say about extracting retribution for a dead pet?
Yes, state law allows for the killing of coyotes if they take out a pet or livestock.
Texas Health and Safety Code section 822.013 states that a coyote attacking or that has recently attacked other animals may be killed by:
A person is not required to procure a hunting license to kill a coyote under this specific circumstance in Texas.
Yes, coyotes can be hunted in Texas with a license.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department classifies coyotes as nongame species, which require a hunting license to be hunted. There are no closed seasons or bag limits for nongame species.
However, there are other situations where a hunting license is not required to hunt coyotes.
A hunting license isn’t required to hunt depredating or plundering coyotes on private property, as long as the hunter has landowner authorization, according to TPWD.
Essentially, if you want to hunt coyotes that are not actively destroying private property, a hunting license is required. But if you’re hunting coyotes that are destroying private property and you have landowner approval, a hunting license is not required.
As people continue to expand housing and other human development into what once was wildlife habitats, the TPWD says there’s increasing potential for coyote encounters.
Here are a few precautions the TPWD recommends Texans take to manage coyotes:
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If you’re traveling for Memorial Day weekend, the weather could affect your plans. Severe weather will develop across the central and southern Plains on Saturday before shifting east toward the mid-Mississippi and Ohio River Valley on Sunday.
Dangerous and record-breaking heat is possible in South Texas, along the Gulf Coast to South Florida through Memorial Day.
Here’s what you need to know about the forecast this weekend.
Severe weather is going to be the primary threat for holiday weekend travelers on Saturday. Storms will develop across the central and southern Plains on Saturday afternoon and evening capable of producing all types of severe weather.
Oklahoma, Kansas and western Missouri will see the highest threat for severe weather, including several strong to violent tornadoes, extreme hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall Saturday afternoon into the overnight hours.
Scattered showers are possible across parts of the interior Northeast and Mid-Atlantic late Saturday.
The Gulf Coast states, from South Texas to South Florida will experience summerlike heat with the potential for record highs. Heat impacts will likely be highest in South Texas, where heat index values will exceed 115 degrees through Memorial Day.
The western U.S. will be cool to kick off the weekend, as highs stay 5 to 15 degrees below normal.
The same complex of storms from the Plains on Saturday will shift east, bringing the highest severe threat across parts of the mid-Mississippi and Ohio River Valley on Sunday into Sunday night.
Once again, it looks likely that storms will be capable of producing strong tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. The highest threat will be for parts of eastern Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and western Kentucky.
Other areas that will see rain and storms include Wisconsin and Ohio. A weak front could bring some scattered showers to parts of the upper Northeast and New England on Sunday morning, but it will dry out early.
Dangerous heat remains in place across the southern states on Sunday. Heat index values will be highest in South Texas again as actual air temperatures climb into the upper 90s and even the triple digits. Overnight temperatures won’t cool off much with record warm lows, so little to no relief is expected to those without reliable cooling.
Western parts of the country will warm up slightly as temperatures climb back near normal for late May while the East Coast remains around 10 degrees above normal, topping out in the upper 80s to low 90s.
Wet weather will spread east on Memorial Day, bringing widespread shower and storm chances to parts of the eastern U.S., including the Northeast, New England and Mid-Atlantic.
Memorial Day will kick off with showers, likely across the Ohio River Valley and Mid-Atlantic. As the system moves northeastward, rain and storms will fill into the Northeast through the morning and New England through the afternoon.
Temperatures will also be rain-cooled for these areas, so it will feel more seasonable around the Great Lakes. A few scattered showers and storms are possible in the southeast, too.
The western U.S. also warms back up a few degrees above normal, and Texas and Florida continue to feel the summerlike heat with record highs possible and heat index values climbing well into the triple digits.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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UVALDE, Texas — Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement of support on Friday for the Uvalde community exactly two years after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
“Two years ago, 19 beautiful children and two selfless teachers were killed in their classrooms during a senseless mass shooting carried out with a weapon of war,” Harris wrote. “They should still be with us – playing sports, creating art, dancing, laughing, learning, teaching, and making new memories with their families and friends. Today, we are remembering their stories, standing with their loved ones, and thinking of their community.”
Harris’ comments came a day after President Joe Biden sent a letter to the community expressing his condolences and discussing his efforts to end “the epidemic of gun violence.”
In her statement, Harris also touched on the Biden administration’s work to pass gun safety legislation. The vice president specifically mentioned the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress passed and Biden signed into law in 2022, calling it “the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years.”
Harris said the families of the victims of those killed in the Uvalde mass shooting helped the administration to pass this historic gun safety legislation.
“In the months and years since these 21 Americans lost their lives and 17 others were injured, the families in Uvalde have powerfully channeled their anguish into advocacy – demanding action to change the unacceptable fact that gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in our nation,” Harris said.
Prior to 2020, the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. was car crashes, but since then, firearms have been the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 19.
Harris also touted other changes the administration has attempted to enact to gun laws like closing the gun show loophole, which was put on pause earlier this month by a judge following multiple lawsuits from Republican-led states, including Texas.
Other actions Harris mentioned in her statement were investing in student mental health, launching the first-ever “red flag” law resource center and creating the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
“While we have made necessary progress together, there is more work to be done to ensure that every person in our nation has the freedom to live safe from the horror of gun violence,” said Harris. “Congress and state legislators throughout America must have the courage to act by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, passing red flag laws, and making background checks universal. These commonsense solutions will save lives and ensure that fewer children, families, and communities experience the unimaginable trauma and pain that Uvalde has suffered during these last two years.”
Earlier this week, the families of the victims announced a lawsuit against 92 state police officers who were a part of the law enforcement response to the shooting, which has been criticized by state and federal authorities for “cascading failures.” This new suit joins many others filed in the shooting’s aftermath.
The families also announced Wednesday that they reached a $2 million settlement with the city, which agreed to a new standard and training for Uvalde police officers and established May 24 as an annual day of remembrance and the creation of a permanent memorial in the city.
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The Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, June 1.
NOAA just released its 2024 hurricane season outlook, and is forecasting above normal activity this year.
What do these forecasts mean for people living in hurricane-prone areas? What are the ingredients for an active hurricane season? What can you do to prepare?
Spectrum News Meteorologists’ Kyle Hanson, Thomas Meiners, Blake Matthews, Reid Lybarger and Stacy Lynn will answer your questions about NOAA’s forecast and what you can expect this hurricane season at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.
Be sure to include your name and location when you ask a question below.
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The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, June 1, and NOAA just released its annual outlook. NOAA predicts above normal activity across the Atlantic basin this year.
NOAA’s outlook predicts an 85% chance of an above normal season, a 10% chance of a near normal season and a 5% chance of a below normal season.
NOAA forecasts a likely range of 17 to 25 named storms, of which 8 to 13 could become hurricanes, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes, which are a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.
“This is the highest number of named storms NOAA has ever issued in its May forecast,” says Dr. Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., administrator, NOAA.
Remember, predictions of the season’s activity are not predictions of exactly how many storms will make landfall in a particular place. Individual storms make impacts, regardless of how active (or not) a season is. Coastal residents should do what they can to make sure they’re prepared every year.
As a reminder, this season has brought some new changes and a new list of names.
You can learn more about 2024’s list of names here.
Researchers look at a variety of factors to make their prediction.
Current El Niño conditions are forecast to transition to La Niña conditions later this summer or fall, leading to more favorable conditions for tropical development.
La Niña conditions typically favor more hurricane activity in the Atlantic because of weaker vertical wind shear and more instability across the main development region.
Sea surface temperatures are also running well above normal in the Gulf of Mexico and the tropical Atlantic, including the main development region. Some areas are experiencing record warmth.
Warm ocean water helps fuel tropical systems, and combined with the effects of La Niña, it is expected to be an active Atlantic hurricane season.
Here is the latest tropical update for the next 48 hours.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Spectrum News Weather Staff
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The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, June 1, and NOAA just released its annual outlook. NOAA predicts above normal activity across the Atlantic basin this year.
NOAA’s outlook predicts an 85% chance of an above normal season, a 10% chance of a near normal season and a 5% chance of a below normal season.
NOAA forecasts a likely range of 17 to 25 named storms, of which 8 to 13 could become hurricanes, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes, which are a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.
“This is the highest number of named storms NOAA has ever issued in its May forecast,” says Dr. Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., administrator, NOAA.
Remember, predictions of the season’s activity are not predictions of exactly how many storms will make landfall in a particular place. Individual storms make impacts, regardless of how active (or not) a season is. Coastal residents should do what they can to make sure they’re prepared every year.
As a reminder, this season has brought some new changes and a new list of names.
You can learn more about 2024’s list of names here.
Researchers look at a variety of factors to make their prediction.
Current El Niño conditions are forecast to transition to La Niña conditions later this summer or fall, leading to more favorable conditions for tropical development.
La Niña conditions typically favor more hurricane activity in the Atlantic because of weaker vertical wind shear and more instability across the main development region.
Sea surface temperatures are also running well above normal in the Gulf of Mexico and the tropical Atlantic, including the main development region. Some areas are experiencing record warmth.
Warm ocean water helps fuel tropical systems, and combined with the effects of La Niña, it is expected to be an active Atlantic hurricane season.
Here is the latest tropical update for the next 48 hours.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Springtime tornadoes are nothing new for residents of the Midwest, Plains and even the South. It’s common, most cities and towns have tornado sirens and school children perform tornado drills, but is the U.S. seeing a higher number of tornadoes this year compared to the average?
In recent weeks, top stories have featured violent weather with tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail and flooding that injure people and infrastructures and even cause fatalities.
April 26 through May 9 was an active period for severe weather. At least one tornado report was submitted to the Storm Prediction Center per day.
Halfway through the month, the count stands at 234. How do these values compare to the average? Are we seeing more tornadoes than we used to, or is this just par for the course at this time of the year?
Dr. Harold Brooks, Senior Research Scientist with NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman Oklahoma, says this is the time of the year when the greatest number of tornadoes is observed.
Historically, May has produced the most violent twisters. Joplin, Missouri’s EF5 tornado occurred on May 22, 2011, and Moore, Oklahoma’s EF5, the last EF5 to touch down in the United States, happened on May 20, 2013.
The tornado archives began in 1950, with averages compiled from 1991 to 2020. According to the Storm Prediction Center, preliminary data from Jan. 1 – May 16, lists 806 counts of tornadoes from local storm reports for the year so far.
Courtesy of NOAA Storm Prediction Center
The SPC analyzed April, noting 384 preliminary tornado reports, more than double the 1991-2020 April average (182). This was the highest count on record, since April 2011 and is second only to that same year.
Preliminary tornado reports are not the same as actual tornadoes.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center, Matthew Elliot explains,
“In realtime, the National Weather Service collects what are called preliminary local storm reports. For tornadoes, these can be thought of as eyewitness reports of the tornado.”
Reports such as damage or video of a tornado are documented, showing the location of the damage and tornado. Each report will count as one tornado preliminary report.
However, he mentions that sometimes there may be multiple reports of the same tornado, especially longer-track ones, leading to overestimated tornado counts.
“Some preliminary reports end up not being tornadic after a ground survey has been completed (could be wind) while others are surveyed and entered into the official database but never have a preliminary local storm report issued (rarer but does happen).”
When information is relayed to the local National Weather Service offices about storm damage or tornadoes, NWS teams will complete a ground survey to verify these results, usually the following day. Meteorologist Alex Elmore with the National Weather Service in St. Louis explains the process of the storm survey teams.
An NWS emergency official surveys damage from an EF-1 tornado on Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (Spectrum News 1/Jonathon Gregg)
“When storm damage occurs and we suspect it was possibly caused by a tornado or very strong straight-line winds, we will head first toward the location of the worst known damage,” he said.
The max wind speed can be estimated based on damage indicators, including trees, houses, out buildings, and the degree of damage such as missing shingles, partial collapse of the building, tree uprooted, etc., according to Elmore.
“If the damage was produced by a tornado, we assign it a rating on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale based on the wind speed,” he said.
Sometimes the damage from a storm is not from a tornado but straight-line winds. Damage from straight-line winds will all be laying in the same direction, whereas tornado damage will comprise more circular damage.
They continue this process across the swath of damage until no more damage can be found. He says surveys for a single track can take several hours or upwards of an entire day, depending on the path length and degree of damage.
This process can be lengthy and take several months. Once investigations have been completed, the SPC publishes the final count. “Historically, for every 100 preliminary tornado reports, at least 65 tornadoes are confirmed,” says the SPC.
Tornado counts usually peak from March to June and then taper into the summer. The reason is because of the jet stream.
“One of the ingredients needed for thunderstorms to produce tornadoes is strong wind shear, and this is in part provided by the jet stream,” Elmore says.
“During the summer, the jet stream shifts northward toward the U.S.-Canadian border, reducing the amount of wind shear we see locally during severe weather, which reduces the chance for tornadoes.”
We may see more thunderstorms during the summer, but without wind shear, storms that become severe are more likely to produce hail and damaging winds.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Meteorologist Stacy Lynn
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Family members of Uvalde school shooting victims announced on Wednesday a $2 million settlement with the Texas city over the deadly 2022 rampage. The group also said they’re filing lawsuits against dozens of Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Uvalde’s school district.
The announcement comes nearly two years after a teenage gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. Law enforcement officers killed the gunman in a classroom after waiting more than an hour to confront him, which was heavily criticized in the wake of the shooting.
In the settlement announced Wednesday, the city of Uvalde will pay $2 million to the families of 17 children killed in the shooting and two children who survived, according to a statement from the families’ attorneys.
“Pursuing further legal action against the City could have plunged Uvalde into bankruptcy, something that none of the families were interested in as they look for the community to heal,” the statement said.
The settlement also includes enhanced training for Uvalde police officers, supporting mental health services for the families, survivors and community members, and creating a committee to coordinate with the families on a permanent memorial.
The families are also taking new legal action against 92 state Department of Public Safety officers.
“Law enforcement did not treat the incident as an active shooter situation, despite clear knowledge that there was an active shooter inside,” Wednesday’s statement said. “… The shooter was able to continue the killing spree for over an hour while helpless families waited anxiously outside the school.”
A Justice Department report released in January called the police response a failure.
“Had the law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices … lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters at the time.
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Monday are Mondays, but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is the middle of the week which means work, being responsible and getting things done. Laundry, chores, meetings, and going to bed early are all part the routine. Here are the best mid week cocktails which add fun, without the efforts or next mornings.
RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana
This perfect mid week drink is tasty, low calorie and has cranberry! Named after the mother of JFK, the Rose Kennedy, has long been popular. It was developed and named at a DC gay bar called Trumpets in the early 90s. This is not to be confused with a Cape Cod.
Calories – 125
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Rose Kennedy had a bit of a strained relationship with her most famous daughter-in-law Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Jackie did not drink the famed vodka drink, she preferred the more cosmopolitan Negroni. The air of the cocktail makes mid week a hint more fun.
Calories – 195 calories
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While named by an American military man, the drink is seen as a symbol of Cuban nationalism. The cocktail is so popular in Cuba that it’s often referred to simply as ‘Ron con Coca’ (Rum and Coke). It is the perfect drink to add some flavor midweek!
Calories – 196
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RELATED: 8 Ways to Enjoy Marijuana Without Smoking It
Not surprising this cocktail was developed in Texas, home of big ranches. In fact, the King Ranch is the biggest ranch in the US. It is tosses a spicy mix into the week. As you consider the main alcohol, remember tequila is mezcal. The term mezcal refers to spirits made from the agave plant, while tequila refers to a specific type of mezcal that can only be made from blue Weber agave in five Mexican states. Reposado tequila stays in the barrel for a duration of 2 months to a year, depending on the flavor profile a distiller is looking to achieve.
Calories – 131
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Now you can fun, flavor without the calories and hangovers with the best mid week cocktails.
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Anthony Washington
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The flower moon will illuminate our skies this week.
May’s full moon is often called the Flower Moon. Native American names also have a spring flavor, including Budding Moon and Planting Moon.
It is called the flower moon because of the abundance of flowers that emerge during the month across North America.
Last October, Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” premiered. It was titled as such to attribute to the “Reign of Terror” in the Osage nation that began in May 1921.
The full moon will come to full peak early Thursday morning but still provide optimal viewings for both Wednesday night and Thursday night. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.
Residents along the Midwest and South might refer to this year’s May full moon as the cicada moon, due to the emergence of billions of cicadas from two separate broods.
A 13-year cicada peers over a ledge in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, May 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Meteorologist Stacy Lynn
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The former Colleyville Heritage High School principal sued the district after a board member disparaged him at a 2022 panel discussion.
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Grapevine
The Grapevile-Colleyville school board voted 6-0 Monday to go after former Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield for legal fees.
Newly elected Place 2 trustee Dalia Begin abstained from the vote.
It comes after Whitfield unsuccessfully sued the district and board member Tammy Nakamura for disparaging him during a June 2022 school board panel discussion sponsored by the Republican National Committee. He alleged her comments violated a November 2021 settlement agreement.
Nakamura told the panel that Whitfield’s activism led to calls for his dismissal, citing accusations he’d promoted so-called “critical race theory.”
However, Nakamura, who was elected in May 2022, argued in court documents she wasn’t bound by the settlement, because she wasn’t a board member when it was signed. A Tarrant County court agreed, and dismissed the case against her in June 2023.
The district then pushed to throw out the rest of the case, arguing Nakamura’s comments didn’t violate the agreement. The court dismissed that case on April 11.
Now the district will try to get Whitfield to pay for its legal fees.
“Grapevine-Colleyville taxpayers should not have to pay for one man’s political quest,” Nakamura said after Monday’s vote. She thanked her fellow board members for their vote, and said she’s looking forward to moving past the lawsuit.
Whitfield did not immediately respond to a text message requesting comment after the vote Monday night.
Whitfield was the first Black principal at Colleyville Heritage High School when he was hired in 2020. In July 2021, a former school board candidate accused Whitfield of promoting“critical race theory,” which led to calls for his firing.
After a series of board meetings, the district and Whitfield reached a settlement where he would remain on administrative leave until August 2023 in exchange for not commenting on the dispute publicly.
Whitfield took to social media Sunday to point out that Judge Megan Fahey, who presided over both cases, received a $5,000 political donation from lawyer and school board candidate Mike Alfred. The post noted Alfred had worked for board president Shannon Braun in 2021, and filed to run for school board roughly a month after making the donation.
Alfred lost his race for Place 2 to Begin by 29 votes during the May 4 election.
When asked if he believed Alfred’s political donation influenced the outcome of his case, he said, “I’ll leave that for others to decide. I just want there to be a level of transparency surrounding these happenings,” in an email to the Star-Telegram ahead of Monday’s vote.
Alfred vehemently denied the suggestion that his donation played any role in the case. He said he’s been friends with Fahey’s husband for over 25 years, called her a very qualified judge, and said the county needs more like her.
He also noted his donation was less than 10% of the total amount she’s raised since 2020, and called the suggestion she would be swayed to by his donation “stupid.”
Whitfield currently serves as the superintendent of Treetops School International in Euless, Texas.
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Harrison Mantas
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A 14-year-old swimmer vanished, then her body washed up on a Texas beach hours later, officials say.
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The body of a missing swimmer washed up on a Texas beach hours after the teen went missing, officials say.
Cameron County Park Rangers got a call around 7:15 a.m. May 19 about “two swimmers in distress” on South Padre Island, according to a Facebook post.
When rangers arrived, they were told that the younger swimmer had been rescued, but a 14-year-old girl from Harlingen was missing.
“Park Rangers immediately notified the US Coast Guard and surrounding agencies for assistance in the search and rescue,” the post said.
Around 11:10 p.m., the rangers learned that a body washed ashore about 2 miles north, according to an updated post.
The missing girl’s family confirmed that it was the 14-year-old, officials said.
Officials have not released the girl’s identity or the age of the younger swimmer.
Harlingen is in southern Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s about a 45-mile drive west of South Padre Island and a 135-mile drive south from Corpus Christi.
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How many people named Kyle can fit in one place? For one Texas city, not enough.
Another attempt by the city of Kyle, Texas, to break the world record for the largest gathering of people with one name fell short Saturday despite 706 Kyles of all ages turning up at a park in the suburbs of Austin.
The crown is currently held by a town in Bosnia that got 2,325 people named Ivan together in 2017, according to Guinness World Records.
/ AP
It’s not the first time the Kyles have come gunning for the Ivans. Last year, the official count at what has become known as the Gathering of the Kyles clocked in at 1,490 in the fast-growing Texas city that is about 37 miles south of Austin, the state’s capital.
Kyle is not a chart-topper among popular names in the U.S., according to the Social Security Administration, which annually tracks the names given to girls and boys in each state. The most recent data showed Kyle ranked 416th among male names in 2023.
By comparison, Ivan ranked 153.
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CHICAGO (AP) — A group protesting the war in Gaza and demanding that the University of Chicago divest from companies doing business with Israel temporarily took over a building on the school’s campus.
Members of the group surrounded the Institute of Politics building around 5 p.m. Friday while others made their way inside, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The brief occupation came as other colleges across the country, anxious to prepare for commencement season, either negotiated agreements with students or called in police to dismantle protest camps.
The Chicago protest follows the May 7 clearing of a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at the school by police. University of Chicago administrators had initially adopted a permissive approach, but said earlier this month that the protest had crossed a line and caused growing concerns about safety.
On Friday, campus police officers using riot shields gained access to the Institute of Politics building and scuffled with protesters. Some protesters climbed from a second-floor window, according to the Sun-Times.
The school said protesters attempted to bar the entrance, damaged university property and ignored directives to clear the way, and that those inside the building left when campus police officers entered.
“The University of Chicago is fundamentally committed to upholding the rights of protesters to express a wide range of views,” school spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan said in a statement. “At the same time, university policies make it clear that protests cannot jeopardize public safety, disrupt the university’s operations or involve the destruction of property.”
No arrests or injuries were reported.
Students and others have set up tent encampments on campuses around the country to protest the Israel-Hamas war, pressing colleges to cut financial ties with Israel. Tensions over the war have been high on campuses since the fall but the pro-Palestinian demonstrations spread quickly following an April 18 police crackdown on an encampment at Columbia University.
The demonstrations reached all corners of the United States, becoming its largest campus protest movement in decades, and spread to other countries, including many in Europe.
Lately, some protesters have taken down their tents, as at Harvard, where student activists this week said the encampment had “outlasted its utility with respect to our demands.” Others packed up after striking deals with college administrators who offered amnesty for protesters, discussions around their investments, and other concessions. On many other campuses, colleges have called in police to clear demonstrations.
More than 2,900 people have been arrested on U.S. campuses over the past month. As summer break approaches, there have been fewer new arrests and campuses have been calmer. Still, colleges have been vigilant for disruptions to commencement ceremonies.
The latest Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking an additional 250 hostage. Palestinian militants still hold about 100 captives, and Israel’s military has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.
On Thursday, police began dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment at DePaul University in Chicago, hours after the school’s president told students to leave the area or face arrest.
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At least four people are dead in Houston after hurricane-force winds and torrential rains tore a damaging path through the city Thursday – part of a lashing storm system that is bringing life-threatening flooding and power outages to parts of the South.One person appears to have been killed when a crane was toppled by strong winds and two other deaths were caused by fallen trees, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña, citing preliminary information.In addition to the deaths, there has been damage to downtown skyscrapers, Mary Benton, a spokesperson for the Houston mayor’s office, told CNN.Violent storm conditions in Houston have blown out skyscraper windows, partially collapsed a nightclub and ripped a strip of roofing off the downtown Hyatt Regency, showering the hotel lobby with rain and debris, according to witness video.All non-essential workers are urged to stay home Friday and city schools are closed as widespread power outages have darkened the city and disabled traffic lights, Mayor John Whitmire said. Streets are littered with debris, downed trees and power lines, and the downtown area is dusted with glass from broken windows, he added.Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one Texas city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.Power outages left more than 1 million homes and businesses in the dark across the state on Thursday, with the torrential storms pounding an already-soaked South.A rare Level 4 of 4 high risk of excessive rainfall was issued for parts of eastern Texas and western Louisiana by the Weather Prediction Center Thursday. More than 600,000 people live in the high-risk zone.High risk days only happen on 4% of days each year, but account for more than 80% of all flood damage and more than a third of all flood deaths in the United States, according to the WPC. Just three other days have reached this concerning mark this year, including the most recent one nearly three weeks ago.It’s a sign the atmosphere is primed to unload extreme amounts of rain, a phenomenon that is becoming more frequent in a warming world driven by human-caused climate change.In Houston, violent storm conditions partially collapsed a nightclub building and damaged several others. Sheets of rain blew onto roadways and into the city’s Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros prepared to play the Oakland Athletics.Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 6 inches are expected from Texas to Georgia through Saturday morning. A few spots caught under multiple torrential storms may pick up 8 inches or more of rain. It’s not out of the question that one or two spots could record close to a foot of rain in about 48 hours.Video below: Strong winds during severe weather in Houston, Texas on ThursdayTexas and Louisiana have been in the bull’s-eye of seemingly unrelenting rounds of torrential, flooding downpours since the start of April. Rainfall in the waterlogged area over the last two weeks is over 600% of what’s typical, according to the WPC.Double-digit rainfall totals between 20 and 30 inches over the region in recent weeks have soaked the ground and left rivers swollen, priming the flood threat to extreme levels.Drenched soils are not expected to soak up any of Thursday’s rainfall, the WPC warned Thursday morning. Widespread flash flooding could begin minutes after heavy rain starts to fall.Flooding ramps up Thursday but threat persists FridayStorms, some severe, rumbled to life Thursday afternoon in parts of Texas and prompted flash flood warnings for multiple cities, including Waco. Powerful, heavy storms will push south and east and reach Louisiana and Mississippi late in the day.Nearly 10 million people are under a tornado watch until 10 p.m. CT Thursday in portions of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana.A large cluster of thunderstorms moving into the region Thursday afternoon brought with it a flash flood threat from the heavy downpours in addition to the severe storm dangers in the strongest cells. A couple of tornadoes could spawn, scattered damaging wind gusts are likely to reach 70 mph and there may be isolated hail up to 2 inches in diameter.More than a million customers across Texas are without electricity as of Thursday evening – including more than 800,000 outages reported in Harris County, where Houston is located, according to PowerOutage.us. Harris County is the third-most populous in the United States.A tornado warning had been issued earlier Thursday evening in Harris County, Texas, including downtown Houston, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Houston with the highest-level “destructive” tag.At around 6:30 p.m., the weather service in Houston noted a “destructive storm” with wind gusts of up to 80 mph was over the metro area, and urged residents to take cover immediately in a post on X.Winds in the city were reported as high as 71 mph, according to the weather service. On the east side of the city, there were reports of winds up to 78 mph.Winds exceeding 74 mph are equivalent to the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.Videos shared with CNN on Thursday showed heavy rainfall and power flashes impacting Houston’s downtown area. The roof of a downtown Hyatt Regency had been partially ripped off, sending rain and debris flowing into the hotel, one witness said. Elsewhere, howling winds could be heard in the city’s Heights neighborhood.Multiple steel power transmission towers have been mangled by the storms, CNN affiliate KPRC reported. Along part of US Route 290, traffic was stopped as firefighters cleared downed lines draped over the roadway.Video below: Shoppers were stuck inside a Houston Costco during severe weather on Thursday 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. Many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees,” the mayor’s office said in a statement Thursday evening. “There are significant power outages and reports of damage across the city. We are working with Centerpoint, METRO and other regional partners to keep everyone safe.”Rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour are possible in the heaviest storms, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding, according to the WPC. Damaging winds, hail and a couple of tornadoes are also possible.The greatest flooding danger will come as storms train later Thursday. Training storms track through and deluge the same areas over and over, like a train pulling its cars over the same stretch of track.Serious flash flooding is likely in any areas caught under multiple storms unloading 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour. Roadways may quickly become rivers and small streams could easily overflow their banks.More than 35 million people in the South are under a Level 2 of 4 or Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall Thursday. Many areas may only endure one torrential storm, but even brief downpours will be enough to cause flooding problems given how wet the South has been recently.Soaking storms will shift east on Friday and target more of the Gulf Coast.Significant portions of Mississippi and Alabama are under a Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall on Friday. A larger area from the Texas/Louisiana border to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle is under a Level 2 of 4 risk.Drenching storms from Thursday night will likely last into Friday morning for parts of the Gulf Coast. An initial round of flash flooding is likely in the first half of Friday before rain starts to taper off in the afternoon.Another bout of heavy rain will develop Friday night and continue into the earliest hours of Saturday morning, working over the same areas hit earlier in the day. These storms could produce rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, and quickly restart or worsen any ongoing flooding.Extremely wet start to the yearThe rain will only add to already extreme rainfall totals in what’s been one of the wettest years to date on record across the Gulf Coast.Some Southeast cities have recorded more than half a foot of rain above what’s typical for the first several months of the year.Several dozen cities from Texas to western Georgia are pacing at a top 5 wettest year to date and at least two cities in eastern Texas are experiencing their wettest year, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Dallas is experiencing its third-wettest year to date while Shreveport, Louisiana, is amid its second wettest.Excessive rainfall has largely eliminated dryness and drought conditions along the Gulf Coast, but it hasn’t come without a cost.Earlier this month, nearly 2 feet of rain fell in just five days and sent parts of eastern Texas underwater. Hundreds of people and animals were rescued from flooding as some area rivers rose to levels not reached since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
At least four people are dead in Houston after hurricane-force winds and torrential rains tore a damaging path through the city Thursday – part of a lashing storm system that is bringing life-threatening flooding and power outages to parts of the South.
One person appears to have been killed when a crane was toppled by strong winds and two other deaths were caused by fallen trees, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña, citing preliminary information.
In addition to the deaths, there has been damage to downtown skyscrapers, Mary Benton, a spokesperson for the Houston mayor’s office, told CNN.
Violent storm conditions in Houston have blown out skyscraper windows, partially collapsed a nightclub and ripped a strip of roofing off the downtown Hyatt Regency, showering the hotel lobby with rain and debris, according to witness video.
All non-essential workers are urged to stay home Friday and city schools are closed as widespread power outages have darkened the city and disabled traffic lights, Mayor John Whitmire said. Streets are littered with debris, downed trees and power lines, and the downtown area is dusted with glass from broken windows, he added.
Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one Texas city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.
Power outages left more than 1 million homes and businesses in the dark across the state on Thursday, with the torrential storms pounding an already-soaked South.
A rare Level 4 of 4 high risk of excessive rainfall was issued for parts of eastern Texas and western Louisiana by the Weather Prediction Center Thursday. More than 600,000 people live in the high-risk zone.
High risk days only happen on 4% of days each year, but account for more than 80% of all flood damage and more than a third of all flood deaths in the United States, according to the WPC. Just three other days have reached this concerning mark this year, including the most recent one nearly three weeks ago.
It’s a sign the atmosphere is primed to unload extreme amounts of rain, a phenomenon that is becoming more frequent in a warming world driven by human-caused climate change.
In Houston, violent storm conditions partially collapsed a nightclub building and damaged several others. Sheets of rain blew onto roadways and into the city’s Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros prepared to play the Oakland Athletics.
Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.
Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 6 inches are expected from Texas to Georgia through Saturday morning. A few spots caught under multiple torrential storms may pick up 8 inches or more of rain. It’s not out of the question that one or two spots could record close to a foot of rain in about 48 hours.
Video below: Strong winds during severe weather in Houston, Texas on Thursday
Texas and Louisiana have been in the bull’s-eye of seemingly unrelenting rounds of torrential, flooding downpours since the start of April. Rainfall in the waterlogged area over the last two weeks is over 600% of what’s typical, according to the WPC.
Double-digit rainfall totals between 20 and 30 inches over the region in recent weeks have soaked the ground and left rivers swollen, priming the flood threat to extreme levels.
Drenched soils are not expected to soak up any of Thursday’s rainfall, the WPC warned Thursday morning. Widespread flash flooding could begin minutes after heavy rain starts to fall.
Storms, some severe, rumbled to life Thursday afternoon in parts of Texas and prompted flash flood warnings for multiple cities, including Waco. Powerful, heavy storms will push south and east and reach Louisiana and Mississippi late in the day.
Nearly 10 million people are under a tornado watch until 10 p.m. CT Thursday in portions of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
A large cluster of thunderstorms moving into the region Thursday afternoon brought with it a flash flood threat from the heavy downpours in addition to the severe storm dangers in the strongest cells. A couple of tornadoes could spawn, scattered damaging wind gusts are likely to reach 70 mph and there may be isolated hail up to 2 inches in diameter.
More than a million customers across Texas are without electricity as of Thursday evening – including more than 800,000 outages reported in Harris County, where Houston is located, according to PowerOutage.us. Harris County is the third-most populous in the United States.
A tornado warning had been issued earlier Thursday evening in Harris County, Texas, including downtown Houston, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Houston with the highest-level “destructive” tag.
At around 6:30 p.m., the weather service in Houston noted a “destructive storm” with wind gusts of up to 80 mph was over the metro area, and urged residents to take cover immediately in a post on X.
Winds in the city were reported as high as 71 mph, according to the weather service. On the east side of the city, there were reports of winds up to 78 mph.
Winds exceeding 74 mph are equivalent to the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.
Videos shared with CNN on Thursday showed heavy rainfall and power flashes impacting Houston’s downtown area. The roof of a downtown Hyatt Regency had been partially ripped off, sending rain and debris flowing into the hotel, one witness said. Elsewhere, howling winds could be heard in the city’s Heights neighborhood.
Multiple steel power transmission towers have been mangled by the storms, CNN affiliate KPRC reported. Along part of US Route 290, traffic was stopped as firefighters cleared downed lines draped over the roadway.
Video below: Shoppers were stuck inside a Houston Costco during severe weather on Thursday
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. Many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees,” the mayor’s office said in a statement Thursday evening. “There are significant power outages and reports of damage across the city. We are working with Centerpoint, METRO and other regional partners to keep everyone safe.”
Rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour are possible in the heaviest storms, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding, according to the WPC. Damaging winds, hail and a couple of tornadoes are also possible.
The greatest flooding danger will come as storms train later Thursday. Training storms track through and deluge the same areas over and over, like a train pulling its cars over the same stretch of track.
Serious flash flooding is likely in any areas caught under multiple storms unloading 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour. Roadways may quickly become rivers and small streams could easily overflow their banks.
More than 35 million people in the South are under a Level 2 of 4 or Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall Thursday. Many areas may only endure one torrential storm, but even brief downpours will be enough to cause flooding problems given how wet the South has been recently.
Soaking storms will shift east on Friday and target more of the Gulf Coast.
Significant portions of Mississippi and Alabama are under a Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall on Friday. A larger area from the Texas/Louisiana border to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle is under a Level 2 of 4 risk.
Drenching storms from Thursday night will likely last into Friday morning for parts of the Gulf Coast. An initial round of flash flooding is likely in the first half of Friday before rain starts to taper off in the afternoon.
Another bout of heavy rain will develop Friday night and continue into the earliest hours of Saturday morning, working over the same areas hit earlier in the day. These storms could produce rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, and quickly restart or worsen any ongoing flooding.
The rain will only add to already extreme rainfall totals in what’s been one of the wettest years to date on record across the Gulf Coast.
Some Southeast cities have recorded more than half a foot of rain above what’s typical for the first several months of the year.
Several dozen cities from Texas to western Georgia are pacing at a top 5 wettest year to date and at least two cities in eastern Texas are experiencing their wettest year, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Dallas is experiencing its third-wettest year to date while Shreveport, Louisiana, is amid its second wettest.
Excessive rainfall has largely eliminated dryness and drought conditions along the Gulf Coast, but it hasn’t come without a cost.
Earlier this month, nearly 2 feet of rain fell in just five days and sent parts of eastern Texas underwater. Hundreds of people and animals were rescued from flooding as some area rivers rose to levels not reached since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
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Deadly thunderstorms blew out windows in high-rise buildings, downed trees and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Houston area Thursday as Southeast Texas got pummeled for the second time this month. At least four people were killed due to the storms, Houston Mayor John Whitmire told reporters in a news briefing Thursday night.
“We have a storm with 100 mph winds, the equivalent of Hurricane Ike, considerable damage downtown,” Whitmire said, adding that the region may have been hit by tornadoes as well.
At least two of the fatalities were caused by fallen trees, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters. Another was caused by a “crane that was blown over by the wind.”
Whitmire urged people to “stay at home.”
“There’s trees across roadways across Houston,” Whitmire said.
Several downtown office buildings lost windows.
“Glass all over the streets downtown, traffic lights are out,” Whitmire said.
Flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple counties heading into the evening, according to Houston’s National Weather Service office.
“Take shelter now if you’re in the path of this storm. Head to the lowest floor!” the NWS office earlier warned on social media.
Brian Crimmins on X
The mayor said the city was working through a “backlog” of 911 emergency calls. The majority of those regarded gas leaks and downed wires, Peña said.
Streets were flooded and trees were down across the region. CBS affiliate KHOU-TV showed images of shattered windows on an office building in downtown Houston, with glass littering the street below. Video posted to social media showed a downtown street covered in debris.
Video also appeared to show water being blown into Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros, despite the stadium’s roof being closed. The Astros hosted the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.
“If you’re still there after an Astros game do not go west through downtown,” Whitmire said.
In total, just under one million customers were without power in Texas as of late Thursday night, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.
Of that, more than 808,000 customers were without electricity in and around Harris County, which contains Houston. The county is home to more than 4.7 million people.
“I ask everyone to be patient, look out for your neighbors,” Whitmire said. “It will take 24 hours for a lot of this power to be restored, some will require 48 hours.”
Flights were grounded at Houston’s two major airports because of the weather. Sustained winds topping 60 mph were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The Houston Independent School District announced all schools would be closed Friday.
“Please avoid the roadways if possible, but if you’re out, please use caution and be on the lookout for debris,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on social media. Gonzalez shared an image of vehicles attempting to traverse around a massive tree that had come crashing down into an intersection.
Heavy storms slammed the region during the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.
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