One of my local radar sources allows me to go back several hours and to pan anywhere there is NWS radar — in this case to just as the storm whacked Houston. It really looks like “merely” a strong line of storms that weakens after hitting Houston, but, I don’t see earlier than that for several hours, so, hard to say.
The part of the line that was NE of Houston, though, in the Beaumont, TX, and Lake St. Charles, LA, area, is another matter. That has held together all the way to New Orleans, and at points has had that bow echo characteristic. I don’t know how much damage it’s done, but that puppy certainly appears to be potent.
That storm came out of Central Texas, hit Houston and continued on to the panhandle of Florida.
I was flying home from a trip to south Florida today. DELAYS all over the place.
Lot of airport disruptions.