Houston was hit by several tornadoes, one of which resulted in death

Multiple tornadoes struck the Houston area on Saturday, killing one person and injuring four others in Brazoria County, according to local reports.

Why it matters

One of the busiest travel weekends of the year sees severe storms disrupting thousands of flights at major Texas airports.

John Lichter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS), said at least six tornadoes struck the area, although they may find out there were more if authorities are able to assess the damage caused by straight-line winds to investigate.

The region has already experienced tornado activity on Thursday, with two tornadoes recorded near El Campo in Wharton County and the Crosby area in Harris County. The timing is particularly concerning because tornadoes can be particularly dangerous in the Gulf Coast states during the winter months.

What you should know

Governor Greg Abbott has activated the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) in response to the threat of severe weather across the eastern half of Texas. In Brazoria County, about 10 homes were damaged between Liverpool and Hillcrest Village. Additional destruction was reported in Katy and Porter Heights, where mobile homes were damaged and the doors of a fire station were ripped off.

The storms knocked out power to more than 45,000 customers in Texas and 21,000 in Louisiana. In Franklin County, Mississippi, more than 30 percent of utility customers are without power, and at least one person was reportedly trapped in a home in Bude when a tree fell during a tornado.

Travel disruptions have intensified at Texas’ major airports. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is reporting disruptions to one thousand eighty-seven flights, while Houston Bush Intercontinental is dealing with six hundred and four affected flights.

At Dallas Love Field, 222 flights were disrupted as the storm impacted holiday travel.

Resident Resources:

• Monitor road conditions: DriveTexas.org
• Access flood information: TexasFlood.org
• Emergency Preparedness Guide: tdem.texas.gov/prepare
• General safety tips: TexasReady.gov

What people say

Governor Abbott: “Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary resources to assist local authorities in responding to severe weather threats.”

Dan Davis, mayor of Manvel: “I have received confirmation that a life was tragically lost as a result of the storm that moved across Brazoria County.”

Josh Lichter at NWS: “These storms are likely to get worse the further east you go this evening and overnight.”

What happens next

TDEM has activated Swiftwater lifeboat squads and placed municipal search and rescue teams on standby. The severe weather threat is expected to expand eastward, potentially affecting a dozen states by Sunday.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.