HOUSTON (AP) — A tornado that ripped through residential areas north of Houston damaged more than 100 homes, ripping off roofs, ripping garages off their foundations and shattering windows, Texas authorities said.
No injuries were reported in Monday's storm, which uprooted trees, brought down power lines and left trails of debris in some neighborhoods.
Heavy fog made it difficult to assess all the damage on Tuesday morning, but calmer weather conditions were expected to prevail in the area. Further south, heavy rain and severe thunderstorms were expected throughout the day, in what is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the Thanksgiving holiday. Rain and snow were forecast for other areas of the country just before Thanksgiving, according to the National Weather Service.
Some people hunkered down in their homes and hid in closets during the storm in Texas. More than 20,000 customers were temporarily without power on Monday.
“I had the door and was trying to keep it closed so nothing could get into the house,” Miriam Harris told KTRK-TV. “It was so powerful.” She suffered roof and tree damage and some of her Christmas lights were damaged.
In Klein, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Houston, officials were working to fix several reported gas leaks, remove trees blocking roads and clear debris around homes and businesses, said Ja'Milla Lomas, a spokeswoman for the Klein Fire Department. Damage was also reported in Cypress and Spring.
A locomotive crew took temporary shelter in a resident's garage as strong winds swept through the area, said the Cy-Fair Fire Department, which represents a collection of stations throughout the Houston area.
Photos and drone videos posted on Facebook by Harris County Precinct 4 police officers showed roofs with shingles torn off. Some debris blocked roads.
According to Police Officer Mark Herman's office, the damage affected the Memorial Northwest neighborhood. There were also several weather-related vehicle accidents.
The Houston Fire Department sent five members of its sawing team to cut and remove fallen trees, spokesman Rustin Rawlings said.
The weather service had issued a tornado warning for southeast Texas, including Houston, until 1 a.m. Tuesday. A severe thunderstorm warning has also been issued for portions of southeast Texas.