As Thursday night falls and Friday morning, coastal Texas and Louisiana are battered by forces of nature like never before, painting a picture of devastation, loss, and resilience.
With winds howling and torrential rains pouring down, the Gulf Coast witnessed a stormy night that left behind traces of destruction, countless shattered lives, and a million families plunged into darkness.
According to British media on May 17, the relentless force of the storm claimed at least four lives in Houston, starting this bleak narrative of survival and reconstruction.
According to Mary Benton, the mayor's spokeswoman, the force of nature turned the fallen tree into a deadly weapon, causing two fatalities, and the crane collapsed under endless pressure, adding to the tragedy.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena outlined the grim aftermath of the disaster at a press conference, highlighting the role of nature's unpredictability in the disaster.
Brightly lit cities: Houston's shards of glass and dark nights
Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, wakes up with what looks like the end of a disaster movie. The skyline, which once shimmered with lights, had windows blown away in the storm, and the streets were littered with shards of glass.
The traffic lights went out, leaving only the howling winds and the wailing of ambulances in the distance, occasionally breaking the ominous silence. At a local Costco store, shoppers gathered, and the faint glow of their phones cast a halo of light in the chaos, becoming a symbol of human resilience in the face of adversity.
The Houston disaster was not an isolated incident. Across Texas and Louisiana, roads turned into rivers, power grids collapsed, and more than 825,000 homes and businesses lost power in Texas and 172,000 in Luzhou.
The news that temperatures in Houston are expected to soar to 90 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend adds a sense of urgency to restore power. In Brian, Texas, emergency services rushed to the rescue of stranded drivers who dared to defy the floods, highlighting the enormous risks some take in the face of storms.
While Friday's dawn appears to have brought a brief respite, southern states remain on high alert. The National Weather Service has warned that more than 14 million Gulf Coast residents still face severe weather threats, including damaging winds, hail and even tornadoes.
Mississippi and Alabama brace for potentially catastrophic rainfall, with large portions of both states at moderate to high risk of excess precipitation.
And by Friday night, another wave of heavy rainfall is expected to hit the already devastated area again, potentially exacerbating the ongoing flood crisis.
A test of resilience and unity
In the midst of the chaos, stories of courage and community spirit emerge. First responders worked tirelessly, risking their lives to carry out water rescues in treacherous road conditions.
In Brian, police and emergency services quickly responded to multiple incidents in which drivers underestimated the power of flooding. The nearby College Station witnesses the transformation of the park into a lake, a direct demonstration of the overwhelming power of nature.
Gov. Greg Abbott's call for a presidential disaster declaration underscores the gravity of the situation. The back-to-back storm hits since April 26 have pushed Texas to its limits, with the governor citing "widespread damage" and calling for federal assistance to rebuild and recover from this unprecedented weather attack.
Houston withstood the hardest of the storm, with part of the roof of the iconic Hyatt Regency downtown toppled off, and its grand lobby turned into a rain-soaked disaster scene. Steel transmission towers, a symbol of human ingenuity, were twisted like branches under the relentless force of the storm, videos circulating on social media captured the scale of the destruction, and the city skyline became an eerie silhouette against a backdrop of darkness and despair.
As Houston citizens begin to assess damage and embark on the long road to recovery, Mayor John Whitmere's message is clear: Safety is paramount.
He urged citizens to stay at home and avoid going out, stressing that it could take up to 48 hours to restore power, stressing the need for patience and cooperation. Given the gravity of the current situation, schools across the region have made the difficult decision to temporarily close their gates and prioritize the safety of students and staff.