Major storms cause heat waves and power outages in the Houston area

May 20 :
Local news outlets and the National Weather Service reported that at least seven lives were lost in the Houston area on May 18 due to the strong storms that left thousands of people without power and subjected to scorching temperatures. Residents were cautioned by the National Weather Service (NWS) in a post on the X social media platform about the dangers of heat stroke, with the message "Don't overdo yourself" as they persisted in removing debris following the storms that occurred on May 16th.

More than 800,000 people were left without power when storms with winds of up to 100 mph (161 kph) ripped through the area, damaging homes and structures and falling power lines, according to local media.

Reports from the area indicate that a tornado ripped trees and windows from their frames and scattered debris when it made landfall close to the Cypress suburb.

More than half a million individuals in the area were still without energy as of May 18 morning, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that compiles statistics on power outages from utilities nationwide.

Businesses and families in seven counties in Texas are now qualified to receive federal help thanks to a major disaster declaration that President Joe Biden signed on May 17.