Fast-moving storms with strong winds, large hail, and apparent tornadoes swept Oklahoma and Kansas, causing damage to homes, blocking roads, and downing power lines. Progress was made in Houston’s recovery from last week’s deadly storms.
Nearly 20 homes were damaged in western Oklahoma’s Custer County, with two people injured in Butler, according to state emergency officials on Sunday. Damage to a nursing home was reported in the town of Hydro.
Wind gusts well over 60 mph were reported in many areas as the storms moved eastward from Sunday afternoon through the night. In central Kansas, a 100 mph wind gust was reported at the airport in Salina, as stated by the National Weather Service.
Jacob Schwein, of Russell, Kansas, witnessed a funnel cloud from a storm that damaged his home and tore apart a garage where he stored his race car, trophies, and tools.
Overturned semitrailers were reported in Newton and Sedgwick counties, prompting the city of Halstead to urge residents not to venture out unless absolutely necessary.
The National Weather Service received 13 tornado reports on Sunday from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado.
Schools in several communities were canceled on Monday as they cleaned up from the storms, with more severe weather forecasted later in the day. An enhanced risk of severe storms late Monday night into early Tuesday was warned for parts of Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, with potential for large hail, gusts up to 75 mph, and some tornadoes.
Parts of Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota could also experience flooding due to heavy rain swelling rivers and creeks, according to the weather service.
Weather
Houston residents may not have power back for weeks following deadly storms
6:23 AM, May 17, 2024
Houston-area residents affected by deadly storms last week received some good news as officials said power was restored Sunday to a majority of those left without electricity and air conditioning. Thursday’s storms resulted in at least seven fatalities and caused widespread destruction in Houston.
More than 209,000 homes and businesses in Texas remained without power on Monday, primarily in the Houston area, while over 2,400 customers in Louisiana were also affected by strong winds and a suspected tornado.
Residents in a Houston-area neighborhood without power were able to obtain food, water, and ice from a distribution site at a Boys & Girls Club. City and county buses served as temporary cooling centers.
Expecting sunny, hot, and increasingly humid days, the weather service advised Houston-area residents to prepare for temperatures reaching about 90 degrees, with heat indexes potentially reaching 102 degrees by midweek.
