Skip to main content

Houston, United States (AFP) – The death toll from severe weather that lashed the Texas city of Houston has risen to seven, authorities said Friday.

The three additional deaths came after Houston, the fourth-largest US city, was hit Thursday by heavy rain and winds up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour, leaving downtown streets covered in glass from blown-out windows.

Downed trees and power lines littered residential areas and the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in the suburb of Cypress.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the new victims included an 85-year-old woman who died after her mobile home was struck by lightning and caught fire.

A 60-year-old man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead after going to his truck to try and power his oxygen tank, after electricity was cut across wide swaths of the storm-hit area.

And a 57-year-old man collapsed and died after trying to move a downed power pole.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Thursday after the storm that four people died, though specifics were not immediately available.

Schools in Houston, home to 2.3 million people with an economy centered around oil and petrochemicals, were closed on Friday and non-essential workers urged to stay home.

mav-rle/pno/acb/pbt

© Agence France-Presse

Featured image credit: wirestock | Freepik.com

Satellite image: Alaska, USA
Image of the day: Global sea ice hits record winter lowNews

Image of the day: Global sea ice hits record winter low

In early February 2025, global sea ice reached an all-time low, with Arctic and Antarctic ice covering just 15.76 million square kilometers. While Arctic ice…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 28, 2025 Full article
UTEP team to investigate climate change impact on pecan orchardsNews

UTEP team to investigate climate change impact on pecan orchards

EL PASO, Texas | UTEP - How are U.S. agricultural crops affected by climate change? A research team from The University of Texas at El…
SourceSourceNovember 8, 2024 Full article
Industrial smoke from coal-fired power plant - abstract image
G7 to phase out coal-fired power plants by mid-2030sNews

G7 to phase out coal-fired power plants by mid-2030s

Turin, Italy | AFP G7 ministers agreed a timeframe Tuesday for phasing out coal-fired power plants, setting as a goal the mid-2030s, in a move…
SourceSourceMay 1, 2024 Full article