Drivers stranded

Stormy Monday: Houston area pummeled by high winds, hail and rain, floodingstreets

Houstonian Jennifer Moore reports, "AH! This is crazy.... I'm off BuffaloSpeedway and 59 by H-E-B."
Photo by Jennifer Moore
CultureMap contributing writer Jayme Lamm warns, "Roads on 610 feeder aretotally flooded, cars stalled everywhere. Office buildings on Weslyan are nowclosing."
Photo by Jayme Lamm
A car was stranded in flood waters gathered beneath I-10 at San Jacinto Mondaymorning.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
The San Jacinto overpass held nearly a foot of water, blocking the I-10 feederroad and stopping north-south traffic.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Hermann Park
Photo by Avery N. Burns/Lockerz
Westheimer flooded outside Paulie's
Photo by Fulmer/Lockerz

Severe thunderstorms rolled across the Houston area Monday morning, unleashing funnel clouds, hail and heavy rains that soaked much of the city, making roads impassable and stranding drivers.

As of late Monday afternoon, downtown commuters were seeking alternate routes to Interstate 45 North, as Travis and Milan streets were flooded near the freeway entry on the north side of downtown Houston.

KTRK-TV Eyewitness News reported heavy wind damage to homes at Royal Way and Turphin Way in southwest Houston. The station also reported that the Mall of the Mainland shopping center in Texas City was closed after potential tornado damage. Officials at the National Weather Service said the damage would need to be assessed before a tornado touchdown could be officially confirmed.

NWS forecaster Scott Overpeck told CultureMap no other tornadoes have been reported in the area, aside from a Fort Bend sheriff who spotted a funnel cloud in early this morning. Overpeck also reported small hail stones in Fort Bend and Harris counties, with ping pong-sized hail in Wharton County.

"Right now the bayous are doing exactly what their meant to do, which is to move water," said Harris Country Flood Control staff meteorologist Jeff Lindner.

Flooding was the biggest news as bayous struggled to handle the sudden heavy rains in the midst of one of the state's driest periods in recorded history. Flash flood warnings were in effect until the early afternoon for Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Harris counties.

Just around the corner from CultureMap Houston headquarters near downtown Houston, a Toyota Camry was stranded in nearly a foot of water under the I-10 overpass at San Jacinto. A tow truck was spotted attempting to approach the flooded vehicle, but the water proved too deep for a possible rescue.

CultureMap readers reported flooded streets in Bellaire, Missouri City and near the University of Houston, among other areas.

Harris County Flood Control, which monitors area water flow on a 24-hour basis, reported that natural and manmade flood measures throughout the area are handling the rains fairly well.

"Right now the bayous are doing exactly what they're meant to do, which is to move water," said Harris Country Flood Control staff meteorologist Jeff Lindner.

"The only problem is at the lower end of Braes Bayou around Lawndale, where we're seeing overbank conditions," he reported, noting that this particular area near the Ship Channel is prone to flooding.

Heavy winds and rain stirred up continued unconfirmed reports on the Internet about flooding at Minute Maid Park and a potential roof leak at Reliant Stadium, which maintained considerable roof damage during Hurricane Ike. But officials at both venues said neither stadium was affected by the rains.

Houston METRO users faced delayed bus service due to flooded streets. Light rail service was limited to the Downtown Transit Center and the Preston Station on Main Street for much of the morning. As of about 2 p.m., METRORail restored full service, although high water continues to disrupt bus routes in some areas.

East bound traffic on the Katy Freeway will be diverted onto METRO’s HOV extension until severe roadway flooding is reduced.

Laura Cating of CenterPoint Energy reported power outages to more than 20,000 customers during strong storms in western Harris County just before 11 a.m. CenterPoint will work around the clock until electricity is restored, Cating said, recommending the company's online outage tracker for average wait times.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”

Drivers stranded

Stormy Monday: Houston area pummeled by high winds, hail and rain, floodingstreets

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

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