Between May 16 and May 17, 2024, a derecho hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, starting in Southeast Texas and moving toward Florida. This storm caused extensive damage, especially in Houston and nearby areas. The National Weather Service named the storm the Houston derecho. The storm produced winds reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and included four tornadoes. At least seven people were killed during the event.
Meteorological synopsis
On May 14, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) identified a level 2/Slight risk for severe weather in parts of central and northern Texas. The following day, this risk area stretched westward to the Texas–New Mexico border and eastward into southern Mississippi. By the morning of May 16, a level 3/Enhanced risk was noted across central Texas, extending southward and eastward toward the Texas and Louisiana Gulf coasts during the afternoon. Storm activity was already occurring along and north of an outflow boundary from Midland into northeastern Texas. The area south of these storms had high levels of moisture near the ground and rapidly cooling temperatures with height, leading to very unstable air conditions. Farther east, in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, a large amount of moisture moved northward with a warm front, raising dewpoints to the upper-70s °F in coastal areas. Forecasters noted that thunderstorms would form along the front and that the front might strengthen the existing line of storms approaching from the west.
By mid-afternoon, a large mesoscale convective system developed across central and eastern Texas, showing many updrafts and a growing risk of damaging winds. As this system moved southeastward, weather radar detected rotations, leading to more tornado warnings. The system evolved into a derecho—a long-lasting and widespread damaging wind event—as it reached the Greater Houston area. The highest wind speed recorded was 78 mph (126 km/h), but damage surveys later estimated winds up to 100 mph (160 km/h) in parts of downtown Houston. Three EF1 tornadoes occurred during this event. The derecho continued eastward into Louisiana during the evening, fueled by warm air moving from the south. Hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded, including an 84 mph (135 km/h) gust at New Orleans Lakefront Airport. Another EF1 tornado was confirmed in Romeville. By early May 17, the storm system moved offshore into the Gulf of Mexico, with instability limited to the coastline. This reduced the risk of inland severe weather, leaving behind widespread wind damage reports across parts of the Gulf Coast states.
Impact and damage
As the derecho passed through the Greater Houston area, it created wind gusts as strong as 100 mph (161 km/h) in Downtown Houston. This was the worst wind event in Houston in about 25 years. The powerful winds broke windows in many high-rise buildings, causing broken glass to cover the streets below. A brick building that housed a bar near the intersection of Congress Street and Travis Street had a wall collapse. The derecho caused significant damage to power lines and led to widespread straight-line damage. Over a million customers in the Greater Houston area and nearby counties lost power due to the high winds. More than 24 hours later, about 555,000 customers still had no electricity. By Wednesday of the following week, when repairs were expected to finish, nearly 60,000 homes, businesses, and schools in the hardest-hit areas remained without power.
Seven people were confirmed to have died in Greater Houston because of the storm; this number was later updated to eight.
In other parts of Texas outside of Houston, much of east Texas experienced flooding.
In the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, many trees and power lines fell, with some landing on homes and cars. No injuries were reported. As the derecho moved into the New Orleans area, it produced winds stronger than 80 mph (128 km/h). Tornado warnings were issued in St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes as the storms passed through. The strong winds caused three mobile homes at the New Orleans RV Resort and Marina to overturn, leading to four people being hospitalized. Small aircraft and equipment at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were damaged. Minor street flooding and fallen trees were reported in Covington. Fallen trees blocked one lane of US 90 near Live Oak, leaving only a single lane open for traffic. More than 65,000 customers in Southeast Louisiana lost power because of the high winds.
References
- All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.