Seven people have died, including a cement truck driver, as a result of the hurricane winds, severe storms and rainfall that devastated Houston this week.
According to reports, a 72-year-old man died after being crushed by a falling crane as a result of the devastating disaster.
Officers explained: “They did everything they could. Obviously it takes a lot of heavy equipment to get people out. But prayers for their families. A hugely tragic event.’
Although Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed at a news conference that four people had been killed in the city on May 16, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later said there were three more victims in unincorporated Harris County.
According to reports, a 72-year-old man has died after being crushed by a falling crane following the devastating disaster
Rain blows in through the windows as a severe thunderstorm hits before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park
Louisiana street is closed to traffic as workers remove debris from the broken windows of the Wells Fargo Plaza building in Houston
The three deaths included a man who collapsed while trying to move a downed utility pole, a woman who was found dead in a trailer after lightning struck it and started a fire, and a man who was found dead after going to his truck went to plug in an electrical outlet. oxygen tank after the power went out.
Whitmire had previously said two people were killed by fallen trees and a third died after a crane fell. He did not clarify how the fourth person in the city died.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo describes the storm said at a conference: “We haven’t seen this kind of wind in Harris County since Hurricane Alicia in 1983.”
The National Weather Service said the storm peaked at winds of 100 mph in Houston and there was an EF-1 tornado with winds of 110 mph in Cypress.
People were seen seeking shelter as record-breaking rainstorms fell across the city, along with debris destroying homes and cars
The National Weather Service said the storm peaked at winds of 100 mph in Houston and there was an EF-1 tornado with winds of 110 mph in Cypress.
A damaged building is shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown Houston
Both Whitmire and Hidalgo have reportedly signed disaster declarations that could increase additional authority and aid in the affected areas.
Whitmire has previously advised residents to stay home rather than drive to work and asked only essential workers to make the dangerous commute.
Schools are also closed due to widespread power outages and traffic lights for the disabled.
“Stay home tonight and don’t go to work tomorrow unless you are an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children.
“Our first responders will be working around the clock,” the mayor told the panicked crowd.
A woman looks at the damage caused by fallen bricks from a construction wall in Houston
Crews are clearing debris after a wall collapsed in the aftermath
Videos and images show windows in downtown buildings being blown out, cranes swaying in the wind, people running for shelter as record-breaking rainstorms fall on the city, along with debris destroying homes and cars.
The Houston Fire Department has advised locals to leave their homes immediately and call 911 if they smell gas in their home.
According to CBS922,000 homes and businesses were affected by the outages from the time the storm reached its peak.
CenterPoint Energy officials have said recovery in the hardest-hit areas could take days