Houston is battening down the hatches as severe weather threatens to pummel Southeast Texas with a nasty concoction of heavy rain, hail, and high-speed winds, with the potential for isolated tornadoes putting residents on high alert. As per AlertHouston's Wednesday advisory, people across Houston are bracing for an onslaught on Thursday, which was echoed by Gov. Greg Abbott's assurance that the state's emergency resources are prepped and primed for action, KHOU reports.
In preparation, emergency crews are not taking any chances, with firefighters from Cy-Fair to Spring reviewing rescue vehicles and fueling chainsaws, ready for the worst after a nefarious EF-3 tornado previously ripped through Pasadena and Deer Park back in January, boasting 140 mph winds, according to FOX 26 Houston. "The biggest thing we’re doing right now is monitoring," confided Brian Murray from Harris County’s Office of Emergency Management about the vigilant stance being taken in the face of turbulent skies.
The KHOU 11 Weather Team has eyes on a cold front straight from West Texas that's about to serve up a tempestuous Thursday, setting parts of Houston under a Level 2 threat while areas north face a higher Level 3, with Abbott vowing, "Texas is ready to swiftly respond with emergency resources to help local officials keep their communities safe amid severe weather." With the day's timeline announcing possible rain and thunderstorms as early as the morning commute, a lot of Houstonians might be swapping their briefcases for boats if the heavy downpours decide to turn streets into rivers.
The National Weather Service warns that imminent thunderstorms could usher in a slight to enhanced risk of tornadic activity. On top of winds that might howl up to 45 mph, large hailstones ready to wallop unsuspecting Texans, and the omnipresent threat of heavy rainfall that could incur flash flooding, Texans are urged to remain vigilant and check their emergency kits because Governor Abbott isn't taking any chances, deploying numerous state emergency resources, including Texas A&M Task Force 1, Texas Parks and Wildlife boat squads, and many others, to ensure prompt response in the case of Mother Nature rearing her savage head, as revealed by KHOU.
The sultry air is electric with the potential for chaos, and while officials are urging calm and preparedness, individuals like Robert Durdin, who weathered January's storm, carry the sentiments of many: "I hear we’re going to have some bad weather tomorrow...You never think that. It’s never going to happen to you, but it does," he shared with FOX 26 Houston.
