Houston Police Department employee Russell Richardson drowned while driving to work during storm surges from Hurricane Beryl, HPD says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Monday that there has been another death from Hurricane Beryl in the United States.

At a news conference, Whitmire said a civilian employee of the Houston Police Department died while driving in flood conditions on his way to work Monday morning.

Whitmire said the worker’s vehicle was submerged in water near Houston Avenue and I-45 as Hurricane Beryl passed through town.

The mayor noted that the man called HPD for help but ultimately drowned.

Lt. Larry Satterwhite confirmed that Russell Richardson, 54, a computer security officer, drowned after being caught in floodwaters.

“I am deeply saddened to report that we lost a member of our HPD family (Monday) while on his way to work during the hurricane,” Satterwhite posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We ask that everyone keep Russell’s family — his wife and children — as well as his colleagues and friends in your prayers.”

In an unrelated case, authorities rescued a driver stranded in high water on North Main Street near I-45.

According to HPD, a passerby saw the man in his vehicle on the bridge over the bayou. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. Investigators said it was unclear whether he drove into high water and stopped or had a medical emergency.

Authorities said five other people also died after trees fell on homes in the Houston area as Beryl slammed into southeast Texas Monday morning.

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said the first incident occurred in the Atascocita area and the second incident occurred in the Ponderosa Forest neighborhood in northern Harris County.

Montgomery County told ABC13 that three people died from falling trees. However, Jason Millsaps, the county’s emergency management director, would not reveal the location of the deaths.

RELATED: 3 Montgomery County deaths among 5 in Houston area attributed to fallen trees during Beryl

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