7 dead at least as hurricane-force winds batter the area Houston

On Thursday, a catastrophic series of storms with winds up to 100 mph killed at least seven people in Houston, causing power disruptions that could last weeks amid rising temperatures.

In a Thursday night news briefing, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said four people died in storms. Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña reported that falling trees caused at least two of the fatalities. A "crane that was blown over by the wind." caused another.

The Houston-area Harris County sheriff reported three more weather-related deaths on Friday.

The National Weather Service reported a 110-mph tornado near Cypress, northwest Houston.

"We have a storm with 100 mph winds, the equivalent of Hurricane Ike, considerable damage downtown," Whitmire said Thursday, urging people to "stay at home."

The region's power transmission system's repair duration depends on damage assessment, equipment replacement, roadwork access, and manpower availability. Centerpoint Energy deployed 1,000 personnel on Friday and requested 5,000 more line workers and vegetation experts.

On Friday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county's top elected official, said restoring electricity would take longer.

"We are going to have to talk about this disaster in weeks, not days," Hidalgo said.

President Biden declared a major disaster Friday night, allowing seven Southeast Texas counties to get federal aid for "severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding" that began April 26.