NWS confirms straight-line winds caused damage to downtown Houston – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The National Weather Service in Houston says straight-line winds caused all the damage seen downtown as deadly storms blew through Southeast Texas Thursday evening.

NWS survey teams determined that a tornado, an EF-1 with maximum winds of 100 mph, was confirmed in Cypress, northwest of Houston. The straight-line winds that blew through the city center 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 tornadoes in the area and more details are expected to be released later.

The freak windstorms could leave some Houston-area residents without power for weeks after causing hurricane-like damage, meteorologists said Friday.

“We believe this windstorm is the strongest windstorm likely for the Houston area since Hurricane Alicia in 1983,” said Janice Maldonado, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office.

At least four people died after storms hit Houston on Thursday. High winds bent transmission towers, blew out windows and uprooted trees.

“The environment yesterday in Southeast Texas was very favorable for these conditions,” Maldonado said, citing wind shear, a cold front and humidity in the atmosphere.

The storm was extreme, even for Houstonians accustomed to severe weather.

“I would say this is… a generational wind event for Houston. I mean, you don’t see this kind of thing very often, unless of course you’re in a hurricane or a tornado,” said Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University.

It was what meteorologists call a microburst, like “pouring pancake batter on a hot plate… it hits the ground and then spreads in all directions,” Gensini said.

Severe weather events raise questions about the role of global warming. After all, most people are experiencing climate change because of climate change, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit organization with a team of scientists who study and analyze climate change. Extensive scientific research indicates that storms will become more intense, for example dropping more rain, as the atmosphere warms and retains more water vapor.

The effect of climate change on thunderstorms is less clear than on other weather events, such as heat waves or hurricanes. Gensini explained that this is because the storms are short-lived and cover relatively short 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 had the same power and you’re trying to spot one of Jupiter’s moons, it’s a little more difficult,” he said.