The National Weather Service Houston says straight-line winds caused all the damage seen downtown as deadly storms blew through southeast Texas Thursday night.
Survey crews from the NWS determined one tornado, an EF-1 with peak winds of 100 mph, was confirmed in Cypress in northwest Houston. The straight-line winds that ripped through downtown were estimated to have peaked at 100 mph. The NWS said widespread straight-line winds near Baytown and Galena Park also peaked between 90 mph and 100 mph.
NWS crews are investigating several other possible twisters in the area and more details are expected to be released later.
The exceptional windstorms could leave some Houston-area residents without power for weeks after leaving damage comparable to that caused by a hurricane, meteorologists said Friday.
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“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 died after the storms barreled through Houston on Thursday. The fierce winds folded transmission towers, blew out windows and uprooted trees.
“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, like “pouring pancake batter out onto a griddle … it hits the ground and then pushes out in all directions,” Gensini said.
Severe weather events raise questions about the role of a warming world. After all, most people experience climate change through shifts in their weather, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit with a team of scientists that research and analyze climate change. Extensive scientific research indicates that storms will become more intense, for example by dropping more rain, as the atmosphere warms and holds more water vapor.
The effect of climate change on thunderstorms is less clear than with other weather events, such as heat waves or hurricanes. Gensini explained this is because the storms are short-lived and cover relatively small distances.
“Imagine if you had a telescope, it would be relatively easy, depending on the power of your telescope, to see Jupiter. But if your telescope was the same power, you’re trying to pick out one of Jupiter’s moons, that’s a little bit more difficult,” he said.
