A series of powerful tornadoes ripped through suburban communities outside Houston at the start of Thanksgiving week, leaving widespread destruction, damaging more than a hundred homes and forcing families to evacuate as the holiday travel rush began. In Cypress and Klein, where the National Weather Service confirmed wind speeds between 105 and 115 mph, uprooted trees, collapsed power lines and shattered roofs turned residential streets into disaster zones.
Many families now face displacement, including long-time residents like Kenny Beck, who described losing half his roof, portions of the ceiling and the garage door to the violent winds. While authorities confirmed that no one was physically injured, the emotional toll remains high as families sift through wreckage and make arrangements to stay elsewhere while repairs begin.
Beyond Texas, the same storm system has continued to push across the southern United States, bringing heavy rain and repeated thunderstorms to Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, and is expected to move up the East Coast. At the same time, a winter weather pattern is developing across northern states, striking well ahead of the official start of winter. Snow has blanketed parts of North Dakota and Minnesota, with up to eight inches recorded in some places.
Hazardous driving conditions prompted the shutdown of long stretches of Interstate 94 and Interstate 29 due to low visibility, ice and multiple collisions. Forecasters warn that lake-effect snow from Wednesday through Friday will bring additional snow to western New York and northern Michigan, while another winter storm could develop over the central and northern US this coming weekend.
As cleanup crews in Texas replace roofs and remove fallen trees, residents continue to recount terrifying moments, including those who hid in closets when tornado sirens sounded, and the wind grew loud enough to shake homes. In Spring, contractors repairing damaged houses described scenes of debris swirling in mid-air as the tornado passed. Meanwhile, the broader national concern remains focused on travel safety as millions prepare for Thanksgiving plans under the threat of severe weather.
