CoreLogic Weather Verification Services captured the straight-line wind footprint in Houston
On May 16, 2024, a line of severe storms formed a derecho in Central Texas. The derecho traveled to the southeastern coast of Louisiana, with wind gusts of over 75 mph reaching across a 500-mile stretch that included the population centers of Houston, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
CoreLogic identified nearly 200,000 residential properties impacted by winds of 90 mph or greater in the Houston metropolitan area.
A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm that extends more than 240 miles and includes wind speeds greater than 58 mph. With just a single storm, derechos can cause property damage over several states.
The May 16 derecho brought wind gusts over 100 mph (161 km/h) to the Houston metropolitan area. The high winds shattered windows in many buildings and damaged transmission lines. Damage surveys found evidence of several EF-1 tornadoes embedded in the derecho during that period. More than 1 million customers in Houston and the surrounding counties lost power; over 24 hours later, more than 500,000 customers were still without electricity.
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CoreLogic Weather Verification Services (WVS) captured the derecho from May 16-17 (Figure 1). WVS recorded straight-line wind speeds in excess of 100 mph in Houston.
Derechos are not a common meteorological phenomenon. A storm will maintain a high intensity over a large area only if environmental conditions are conducive to its development and sustainment.
Wind speeds in excess of 90 mph are capable of significant property damage. Homeowners with roofs over 10 years old should be diligent about monitoring all damage, even cosmetic issues. Cosmetic or light functional damage can provide entry points for moisture into a structure, which can cause further damage to contents and internal components such as walls, electrical, and HVAC systems.
Some residents compared this derecho to Hurricane Alicia, a storm from August 1983 that brought wind gusts of up to 100 mph to eastern and southeastern areas of Houston. This year’s derecho likely brought stronger wind gusts to the north side of Houston than recorded during Hurricane Alicia or Hurricane Ike.
The CoreLogic Event Response Team is continuing to monitor the situation.
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