Exceptional windstorms that might leave some Houston residents without power for weeks were a once-in-a-generation event, with damage equivalent to that inflicted by a hurricane, meteorologists said Friday.
“We believe this windstorm is the most significant windstorm likely for the Houston area since Hurricane Alicia back in 1983,” said Janice Maldonado, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office.
At least four people were killed when the storms swept through Houston on Thursday. The powerful gusts bent communication towers, blew out windows, and uprooted trees.
The storm was extreme, even for Houstonians accustomed to powerful weather
The National Weather Service verified on Friday that one EF1 tornado touched down near the northwest Houston neighborhood of Cypress, and technicians were looking into several additional probable twisters in the area. According to Maldonado, the damage was caused by straight-line winds reaching over 80 mph in one direction.
“The environment yesterday across southeast Texas was very favorable for these conditions,” said Maldonado, citing wind shear, a cold front, and moisture in the atmosphere.
The storm was extreme, even for Houstonians accustomed to powerful weather.
“I would say it’s … a generational wind event for Houston. I mean, you don’t see these types of things very often, unless, of course, you’re in a hurricane or you have a tornado strike,” Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini said.
It was what meteorologists call a microburst, which is like “pouring pancake batter out onto a griddle … it hits the ground and then pushes out in all directions,” Gensini said.