Severe thunderstorms walloped Houston early Saturday morning, October 25, 2025, leaving behind widespread damage, fallen trees, flooded streets, and massive power outages that stretched from Katy to Kingwood. According to CenterPoint Energy, more than 169,000 customers lost electricity at the storm’s height, with wind gusts between 50 and 64 mph tearing through the area. Although power restoration efforts began before sunrise, tens of thousands of households remained dark through the morning as crews worked in multiple quadrants of the city to clear debris and repair damaged lines.​

Houston’s Rough Awakening

Residents across Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties awoke to loud thunder, pounding rain, and sporadic power disruptions as the line of severe storms moved in between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. The National Weather Service reported rainfall totals of 2–4 inches, with isolated pockets hitting as high as 6 inches, leading to flash flooding in several neighborhoods. Streets along the 610 Loop, U.S. 290, and I-10 saw dangerous water accumulation, temporarily stranding vehicles in low-lying underpasses.

The storms also packed a serious punch of wind and hail. A gust of 59 mph was recorded in Downtown Houston, while Hempstead clocked the highest wind at 64 mph. Residents in The Woodlands, Clear Lake, and Pasadena reported golf ball-sized hail pelting rooftops and shattering car windows.​

Power Outages and CenterPoint’s Massive Restoration Effort

At the height of the storm, data from PowerOutage.com showed that over 260,000 customers statewide were left without power, more than half within the Houston metropolitan area. CenterPoint said its network sustained extensive damage from fallen trees and toppled poles. By midmorning, more than 120,000 customers had power restored, but tens of thousands remained disconnected across western and southern Houston suburbs.

“We’ve mobilized crews across all 12 of our Southeast Texas service centers,” said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint’s Vice President for Special Response. “Any outage is one too many, and our teams are working around the clock to safely restore power before the next round of storms arrives.” CenterPoint has deployed emergency contractors and additional linemen from surrounding regions to speed up the recovery process.​

Governor Greg Abbott also ordered 1,300 emergency responders to assist in power restoration and road clearance, calling the storm “a stark reminder of how unpredictable Texas weather can be.” Officials urged residents to avoid downed power lines, steer clear of flooded areas, and rely on official outage maps rather than calling to report status updates, which slows service response times.​

Neighborhood Damage and Recovery Efforts

By mid-day, crews from Harris County, Houston Public Works, and private contractors fanned out to remove storm debris blocking major streets and drainage pathways. Fallen trees had blocked access to neighborhoods in Tomball, Cypress, and Meyerland, while residents in Montrose and Heights reported significant roof and fence damage. Firefighters and rescue teams also had to respond to several water rescue calls in southwest Houston, where flash floods inundated smaller roadways near Buffalo Bayou and Brays Bayou.​

Flights at both Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Hobby Airport resumed operations after early morning delays. The Houston Chronicle reported that while power has mostly been restored near both airports, passengers should still expect flight delays and luggage disruptions as baggage belts and security systems reset from overnight outages.​

What’s Next: More Storms on the Way

Meteorologists warn that Houston may not be in the clear yet. The National Weather Service’s Houston/Galveston office has issued a Flood Watch through early Sunday morning, citing potential for a second wave of thunderstorms overnight. Forecasters said a “robust upper-level system” will bring “periods of moderate to heavy rainfall and strong to severe thunderstorms,” renewing the threat of flash floods, hail, and isolated tornadoes over the weekend.​

“Rainfall rates in the strongest storms could exceed two to three inches per hour,” the NWS wrote, emphasizing that saturated ground conditions could lead to rapid ponding and neighborhood flooding. Areas already hit hardest—like west Harris County, Kingwood, and Sugar Land—remain especially vulnerable.

Community Alert and Preparedness

Local agencies continue to remind residents to take precautions:

• Avoid driving through standing water and obey road closure signs.

• Keep flashlights, batteries, and first-aid kits accessible in case of new power outages.

• Charge mobile devices in advance and enable CenterPoint’s Power Alert Service for real-time updates.​

The Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has opened temporary cooling and charging centers across the city, including at Moody Community Center, West Gray Multi-Service Center, and Sunnyside Park, for residents without electricity. The American Red Cross has also deployed disaster response volunteers to assist those displaced by flood damage.

Severe Weather Frequency and Houston’s Growing Vulnerability

The October storm comes amid a year of changing weather patterns and record-setting severe storms in Texas. According to meteorologists, the Gulf region’s unseasonably warm autumn temperatures and unstable jet stream positioning created the perfect conditions for intense thunderstorm formation. Experts warn the state could see more frequent late-season squall lines as climate variability intensifies south-central U.S. weather cycles.

This particular system formed over the Hill Country on Friday evening before accelerating southeast into Houston around 2 a.m. Saturday, striking multiple counties in succession. Tornado Watches and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were active from Brazos County to Galveston Bay, while emergency sirens briefly sounded in Harris County as rotation signatures appeared near Spring Branch. As of Saturday afternoon, no confirmed tornadoes have touched down, but officials said minor rotation was observed near Waller County during early storm passage.​

Looking Ahead

The severe weather serves as another reminder that even short-duration storms can cause widespread damage in Houston’s increasingly dense infrastructure environment. For a city already grappling with hurricane preparedness and flash flood mitigation, this weekend’s event highlights the region’s pressing need to modernize utility resilience, develop better drainage systems, and encourage emergency readiness.

For now, residents are urged to stay alert as cleanup and restoration continue throughout the weekend. Further updates will be issued by CenterPoint Energy, the National Weather Service, and local authorities through emergency alerts, social media, and official news outlets.

Houston, a city familiar with rapid weather shifts, proved once again that its resilience—and cooperation between civic agencies and residents—remains one of its greatest strengths as it recovers from another powerful storm system.