Tornadoes wreak havoc in Houston, flights disrupted nationwide
Four tornadoes struck the Houston area in Texas on Saturday, paralysing air traffic and causing delays to thousands of flights across the USA.
The Houston area experienced devastating tornadoes on Saturday, resulting in tragic consequences. The tornadoes swept through Brazoria County, damaging homes and felling trees. As a result of the disaster, one person died and four were injured.
This is the second time in three days that strong storms have hit Austin, Harris, Montgomery, Liberty, and Galveston counties. Local authorities report significant damage to homes and schools. Photos on social media show the ruins of buildings as well as broken trees and power lines.
Tornado sweeps through the USA, disrupting air traffic
Severe weather conditions affected holiday travel across the United States. Heavy snowfall and strong winds on the West Coast caused significant delays or cancellations of thousands of flights. According to FlightAware, over 7,000 flights were delayed on Saturday, and more than 200 were cancelled.
The National Weather Service warns of further threats. In the western USA, winds reached speeds of up to 240 kilometres per hour at high elevations in the Tahoe Basin, and 80 kilometres per hour in lower areas. Heavy rainfall is expected from San Francisco to Portland.
Meteorologists predict that before New Year's Eve, up to 90 centimetres of snow could fall in the Lake Tahoe area. Destructive winds could topple trees and power lines. "Widespread power outages are possible," warns the NWS.
