Storm brings tornadoes, damages structures near Houston
HOUSTON Storms packing heavy rains, lashing winds and tornadoes hit the Houston metropolitan area on Tuesday, ripping roofs off homes, blowing windows out of frames and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.
Two tornadoes were reported to have touched down in Fort Bend County, about 30 miles (50 kms) southwest of Houston, causing damage to structures, the National Weather Service reported.
There were no initial reports of major injuries or deaths from the storm that led the weather service to temporarily issue a tornado warning for large parts of Houston, the nation's fourth most-populous city.
Houston's Hobby Airport issued a temporary ground stop due to the storm, while the Houston Independent School District advised its more than 215,000 students and school staff to shelter in place while the storm passed.
CenterPoint Energy Inc said more than 20,000 customers on Tuesday morning were without power after the storm passed through the region.
(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin and the Houston Bureau; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and David Gregorio)