2 dead as tornadoes, storms strike southeast

On December 29, 2024By Littum

At least two people were killed and several injured after tornadoes ripped through parts of Texas and the Southeast as severe weather gripped much of the nation, delaying or canceling tens of thousands of weekend flights and leaving hundreds of thousands without power Sunday.

One death and four injuries were reported Saturday in Brazoria County, Texas, about 45 miles south of Houston, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. In Katy Texas, 30 miles west of Houston, social media posts appear to show a funnel cloud and several damaged homes.

North Katy resident Toby Azemohor said click2kouston.com he heard a racket outside his home and went to check his car.

“I was sleeping,” Azemohor said. “Suddenly I heard the rain and when I came out it turned.”

Another death was reported in Natchez, Mississippi, after a tree fell on a home. The National Weather Service said at least 19 tornadoes were reported in Mississippi alone.

Power remained out to more than 200,000 homes and businesses Sunday in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Nearly 15,000 flights in the U.S. were delayed or canceled Saturday and Sunday, according to the tracking site FlightAware. Most of the flight delays were in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

In the West, the Weather Prediction Center warned that an “atmospheric river (will) produce heavy rain/snow across much of the Northwest today.”

Wind gusts of up to 150 mph in the high elevations of California’s Tahoe Basin and 50 mph in lower elevations hit the area this weekend. Heavy rainfall was forecast from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, forecasters said. Up to 6 inches of rain could fall before New Year’s Eve and up to 3 feet of snow in Lake Tahoe, forecasters said.

“Destructive winds can blow down trees and power lines,” the Weather Service warned. “Widespread power outages are possible.”

Cast: Mississippi Clarion Ledger staff; Reuters