Free Republic

The city of Houston on Saturday opened new distribution centers to give out water as around 500,000 customers remained without power following severe storms blamed in the deaths of seven people in the region. Houston was forecast to reach a high of 90 degrees Saturday as the city and Harris County recovers from tornadoes and 100 mph straight-line winds that struck with little warning on Thursday. Seven deaths — four in Houston and three in unincorporated Harris County — have been blamed on effects from the weather, including from falling trees and a fire sparked by lighting.

There's damage all over the Greater Houston area after a thunderstorm brought powerful wind and heavy rain. At least four people were killed, Mayor John Whitmire said, and he urged everyone to stay off the roads and stay safe. In scenes reminiscent of Hurricane Alicia back in 1983, the storm blew out hundreds of windows of downtown skyscrapers leaving workers scrambling for cover and glass all over the streets and sidewalks. The damaged buildings include the Wells Fargo Plaza, Total Energies, Enterprise Plaza, Kinder Morgan and Chevron. Workers on higher floors say they felt the towers sway amid the whipping...