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2024 Houston derecho

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2024 Houston derecho
Windows blown out of CenterPoint Energy Plaza in Houston
Date(s)May 16, 2024[1]
Peak wind gust  (measured)78 mph (126 km/h; 34.9 m/s) (Highlands, Texas)[2]
Peak wind gust (est.)100 mph (161 km/h; 44.7 m/s) (Houston, Texas)
Tornado count4 (Texas, Louisiana)[3]
Fatalities8[4]
Damage costs$1.2 billion (2024 USD)[5]
Areas affectedSoutheast Texas, Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, Southern Alabama, Florida[6]
Severest impact Greater Houston

From the evening of May 16, 2024, to midday May 17, 2024, a derecho struck the Gulf Coast of the United States from Southeast Texas to Florida, causing widespread damage, particularly in the city of Houston and surrounding metropolitan area.[7] At least seven people were killed by the storms, dubbed the Houston derecho by the National Weather Service,[7] which brought winds up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) along with four tornadoes.[8][9][10]

Meteorological synopsis

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SPC's Day 1 convective outlook for May 16, 2024, issued at 2000Z, indicating an enhanced risk for severe weather from southeast Texas into southwest Louisiana.

On May 14, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) outlined a level 2/Slight risk for severe weather across portions of central and northern Texas.[11] This risk area was zonally extended westward to the Texas–New Mexico border and eastward into southern Mississippi the following day.[12] By the morning of May 16, a level 3/Enhanced risk was delineated across central Texas, extending southward and eastward toward the Texas and Louisiana gulf coasts during the afternoon hours.[13][14] Convective activity was already ongoing by the time of these outlooks, focused along and north of an outflow boundary from Midland into northeastern Texas.[15] The environment south of these storms was characterized by rich low-level moisture and rapidly cooling temperatures with height, contributing to mixed-layer convective available potential energy values at or above 3,000 J/kg, indicative of a very unstable environment.[14] Farther east across southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, a greater surge of moisture began to advect with a northward-moving warm front bringing dewpoints as high as the upper-70s °F into the coastal counties. Forecasters believed that not only would thunderstorms develop along the frontal boundary, but also that the front may act to intensify the pre-existing line of storms approaching from the west.[16]

By mid-afternoon, an expansive mesoscale convective system evolved across much of central and eastern Texas, exhibiting numerous updrafts and an increasing potential for extensive damaging winds.[17] As this complex surged southeastward, it evolved into a derecho—a particularly long-lived and widespread damaging wind event—as it moved into the Greater Houston metropolitan area. While the highest wind gust recorded by an anemometer reached 78 mph (126 km/h), post-storm damage surveys conducted by the local National Weather Service office estimated that winds reaching 100 mph (160 km/h) moved through portions of the downtown area.[18] Three EF1 tornadoes accompanied this activity.[19] The derecho maintained vigor as it continued eastward into Louisiana during the evening hours, fueled by continued transport of warm air from the south.[20] Isolated hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded, including an 84 mph (135 km/h) gust at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. Another EF1 tornado was confirmed in Romeville.[21] By the pre-dawn hours of May 17, this convective line progressed offshore into the Gulf of Mexico, with instability confined to the immediate coastline. As such, the threat of inland severe weather decreased,[22] leaving behind widespread damaging wind reports across portions of the Gulf Coast states.[23]

Impact and damage

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Texas

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Greater Houston

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Straight-line wind damage inflicted transmission towers in Houston, Texas.

As the derecho moved through the Greater Houston area, it produced wind gusts of up to 100 mph (161 km/h) in Downtown Houston.[2] The derecho was considered the worst damaging wind event to affect Houston in nearly 25 years. The strong winds in Downtown Houston blew out the windows of many high-rise buildings in the area, littering the streets below with broken glass. A brick building occupied by a bar near the intersection of Congress Street and Travis Street suffered the collapse of a wall.[24] The derecho caused extensive damage to transmission lines along with widespread straight-line damage and more than a million customers lost power in the Greater Houston area and nearby counties as a result of the high winds.[25] More than 24 hours later, almost 555,000 customers still remained without power,[26] and by Wednesday of the following week, when repairs were initially expected to be finished, nearly 60,000 homes, businesses, and schools in the worst hit areas of the city were still without power.[27]

Seven people were confirmed to have died in Greater Houston as a result of the storm;[28] the number of deaths was later revised to eight.[4]

Elsewhere in Texas

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Elsewhere in Texas outside of Houston, much of east Texas experienced floods.[29]

Louisiana

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In the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, numerous trees and power lines were downed, some of which landed on homes and cars. However, no injuries were reported.[30] As the derecho moved into the New Orleans area, it produced winds of more than 80 mph (128 km/h). Tornado warnings were issued in St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes as the storms passed through. The strong winds overturned three mobile homes at the New Orleans RV Resort and Marina, resulting in the hospitalization of four people.[31] Small aircraft and equipment at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were damaged.[32] Minor street flooding and downed trees were reported in Covington. Downed trees blocked a lane of US 90 near Live Oak, leaving only a single lane passable to traffic.[33] More than 65,000 customers lost power in Southeast Louisiana as a result of the high winds.[34]

Confirmed tornadoes

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Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating
EFU EF0 EF1 EF2 EF3 EF4 EF5 Total
0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4

May 16 event

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List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, May 16, 2024[a]
EF# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max width
EF1 SW of Waller Waller TX 29°59′20″N 95°59′41″W / 29.989°N 95.9947°W / 29.989; -95.9947 (Waller (May 16, EF1)) 22:44–22:45 0.71 mi (1.14 km) 100 yd (91 m)
A large metal barn was destroyed, with debris tossed 1,000 yd (910 m). Trailers were rolled, and trees were downed.[35]
EF1 Southern Cypress (1st tornado) Harris TX 29°55′39″N 95°44′40″W / 29.9274°N 95.7444°W / 29.9274; -95.7444 (Cypress #1 (May 16, EF1)) 23:04–23:05 0.58 mi (0.93 km) 75 yd (69 m)
A high-end EF1 severely damaged three houses.[36]
EF1 Southern Cypress (2nd tornado) Harris TX 29°55′24″N 95°42′07″W / 29.9232°N 95.7019°W / 29.9232; -95.7019 (Cypress #2 (May 16, EF1)) 23:08–23:10 1.44 mi (2.32 km) 100 yd (91 m)
Numerous homes sustained roof damage and broken windows. Damage was also noted at the Lone Star College-CyFair campus.[37]
EF1 Romeville St. James LA 30°04′N 90°53′W / 30.07°N 90.89°W / 30.07; -90.89 (Romeville (May 16, EF1)) 03:46–03:52 4.83 mi (7.77 km) 120 yd (110 m)
A tornado moved through Romeville, damaging the roofs of several frame houses and manufactured homes, snapping power poles, and snapping trees.[38]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.

References

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  1. ^ Monica Danielle (May 17, 2024), Houston storms leave 4 dead, buildings shattered and power outages may last weeks, AccuWeather, retrieved May 18, 2024
  2. ^ a b Wulfeck, Andrew; Sistek, Scott (May 16, 2024). "Houston metro rocked by 100 mph derecho that left 7 dead and over 1 million without power". Fox Weather. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "EF-1 tornado confirmed near Cypress, another tornado strikes SW region of Waller Co., NWS says", abc13.com, KTRK-TV ABC 13, May 17, 2024, retrieved May 18, 2024
  4. ^ a b deGrood, Matt (May 20, 2024). "Death toll from Houston severe weather rises to 8, HFD confirms". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  5. ^ National Centers for Environmental Information (April 2024). "U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters" (Press release). Events. Asheville, North Carolina, United States: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  6. ^ @NbergWX (May 17, 2024), "Some big weather news today, the historic severe storm that started in Texas and ended in central Florida Thursday evening into Friday midday has now been designated a "derecho" wind storm. Early damage estimates are several BILLION dollars just in Houston, Texas alone. It started in Texas and ended in Florida, but the majority of the damage was in Texas, Louisiana, and the Florida Panhandle. I also plotted the Severe Storm Warnings that occurred and each icon a severe wind report.", retrieved May 18, 2024 – via Twitter
  7. ^ a b Branches of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Weather Service; National Severe Storms Laboratory (2024). "Damage Assessment Toolkit". DAT. United States Department of Commerce.
  8. ^ "NWS Houston Survey reports from severe storms 5/16". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  9. ^ Helsel, Phil (May 17, 2024). "7 dead in Houston area after storms, 100 mph winds". NBC News. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "At least 7 dead after hurricane-force winds pound Houston as power outages persist amid rising temperatures". CNN. May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  11. ^ Matt Mosier (May 14, 2024). "May 14, 2024 0730 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Jeremy Grams (May 15, 2024). "May 15, 2024 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Brynn Kerr; Brian Squitieri (May 16, 2024). "May 16, 2024 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Rich Thompson; Emily Thornton (May 16, 2024). "May 16, 2024 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Ryan Jewell; Rich Thompson (May 16, 2024). "Mesoscale Discussion 801". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Ryan Jewell (May 16, 2024). "Mesoscale Discussion 802". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  17. ^ Mark Darrow (May 16, 2024). "Mesoscale Discussion 806". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  18. ^ "Houston metro rocked by 100 mph derecho that left 7 dead and over 1 million without power". Fox Weather. May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Roberto Villalpando (May 18, 2024). "2 Houston tornadoes on Thursday each lasted only a minute but packed 100 to 110 mph winds". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  20. ^ Mark Darrow (May 16, 2024). "Mesoscale Discussion 810". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  21. ^ David Mitchell (May 17, 2024). "Tornado with 105 mph winds confirmed in south Louisiana parish during Thursday night storm". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Steve Goss (May 17, 2024). "Mesoscale Discussion 811". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  23. ^ "SPC Storm Reports for 05/16/24". Storm Prediction Center. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Courtney Carpenter (May 17, 2024), "Downtown Houston riddled with glass after the storm tore windows out of high-rise buildings", abc13.com, KTRK, retrieved May 18, 2024
  25. ^ Wulfeck, Andrew (May 16, 2024). "Houston metro rocked by 100 mph derecho that left 7 dead and over 1 million without power". FOX Weather. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  26. ^ "Widespread power outages from deadly Houston storm raise new risk: hot weather". AP News. May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "CenterPoint expects some Houston-area power outages to extend into weekend". Houston Public Media. May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  28. ^ John Wayne Ferguson; Matt deGrood (May 16, 2024). "At least 7 people confirmed dead in severe thunderstorm that tore through Houston, officials say". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Wolfe, Joe Sutton, Elizabeth (May 16, 2024). "At least 4 deaths in Houston, official says, as storms bring 'life-threatening' flood risk to Texas and Louisiana". CNN. Retrieved May 20, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: Storm damage reported in BR, other areas, WAFB, May 17, 2024, retrieved May 18, 2024
  31. ^ Michelle Hunter (May 17, 2024), "'A big hit.' Storm system that hit Houston brought 80 mph winds to New Orleans area", NOLA.com, retrieved May 18, 2024
  32. ^ Erin Lowrey (May 17, 2024), New Orleans International Airport reports storm damage, WSDU, retrieved May 18, 2024
  33. ^ Erin Lowrey (May 17, 2024), Louisiana parish-by-parish storm damage updates, WDSU, retrieved May 18, 2023
  34. ^ Severe weather strikes Southeast Louisiana, leaving thousands without power; closing schools, FOX 8, May 17, 2024, retrieved May 18, 2024
  35. ^ National Weather Service in Houston, Texas (2024). Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  36. ^ National Weather Service in Houston, Texas (2024). Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  37. ^ National Weather Service in Houston, Texas (2024). Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  38. ^ National Weather Service in New Orleans, Louisiana (2024). Louisiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
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