Severe storms struck parts of Texas on Monday, bringing heavy rain, hail and destructive winds that caused widespread power outages across the state. More storms were expected on Tuesday in the southeastern part of the state and through parts of the Southern Plains.
About 150,000 customers in Texas were without power as of early Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks national power outages. Energy providers had been working over the previous day to restore power to thousands of homes in north and central Texas after heavy rain inundated swaths of the state.
As residents woke up on Tuesday, the outages were concentrated in the greater Houston area and its neighboring counties. Energy providers in the state warned residents to keep away from downed power lines and report them.
The utility CenterPoint Energy said that as of 5.a.m. on Tuesday, almost 80,000 of its customers were without power. Entergy, another provider, said more than 25,000 of its customers had been affected.
Over the weekend, the National Weather Service had warned of “very large hail” and possible tornadoes over parts of west-central Texas. Hail as large as grapefruit was reported on Sunday in Afton, in north-central Texas.
On Tuesday, forecasters with the Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center warned that more storms could bring damaging winds, large hail, lightning and possible tornadoes.
Southeastern New Mexico, along with western and southern parts of Texas, including San Antonio, were under a level two out of five risk for severe storms through Wednesday. In the Southeast, areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia were also placed at the same risk level.
Repeated rounds of storms could lead to a risk of flash flooding, especially in urban areas, on roadways, near small creeks and in low-lying spots. The Storm Prediction Center said there was a slight risk of excessive rainfall through Wednesday across central and western Texas, as well as parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
There were also risks of flooding in Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia, where scattered thunderstorms are expected on Tuesday.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, forecasters said the threat of severe weather would remain in the Southern Plains, especially across West Texas and eastern New Mexico, including Carlsbad. Damaging winds and large hail are expected to be the primary threats.
Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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