By Anjali Sharma
NEW YORK – The local authorities said on Monday that at least one person died and six others were injured after multiple tornadoes and severe storms ripped through the Greater Houston metropolitan area in the US state of Texas.
In Brazoria County, about 45 miles (72.4 km) south of Houston, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed one death and four injuries, media reported.
Deputy Chief of Staff Jason Smith told the local TV station that in northern Houston’s Montgomery County, 2 people were hospitalized with injuries.
So far there were no reports of critical injuries, he stated.
Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Madison Polston told media “We are still conducting secondary searches and going through and ensuring that all the residents are accounted for.
“At this point, we don’t expect there to be additional fatalities,” she added.
Multiple tornadoes hit Houston suburbs on Saturday, damaged dozens of homes and bring down power lines and trees, according to the US National Weather Service.
It noted that from Houston to Dallas, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at Texas airports due to the severe storms.
Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi were placed under a tornado watch by the NWS, which was upgraded to a rare “particularly dangerous situation.” The warning cautioned of “numerous strong tornadoes” until 9 p.m. Central Standard Time (0300 GMT).
According to a local report in southwest Mississippi, a large wedge tornado touched down west of Brookhaven, left behind massive debris and injuries.
It added that one person was trapped in a house when a tree fell on it during a tornado.
Across eastern Louisiana, strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, with the highest speed reaching 81 mph (130.35 km/h) on Saturday afternoon.
The severe storm threat is expected to weaken on Sunday, as it spreads to the Southeast, the East Coast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic, said a local news report added that 2024 has seen 1,783 tornado reports across the US as of Friday.
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