Downed tree destroys home during storm

HOUSTON – A Woodlands-area home was destroyed Tuesday when strong storms knocked over a tree and it fell on top of the house. Thousands of people also lost power when the storms moved through.

Thunderstorms moved in from the northeast mid-afternoon. After getting into the Montgomery County area, the storms tracked south into Houston. Strong winds, loud thunder and dangerous lightning were associated with the storms.

All over Spring, residents were left cleaning up downed trees and debris.

Barbara Sullivan and her family were helping neighbors remove limbs from their yard. They watched as the storm moved in about 5 p.m.

"We were coming up the HOV lane from 45 and it was just black, then we were coming from the park n' ride and it was just unbelievable," she said.

"The wind was seriously howling," said Greg Sullivan, Barbara's son. "It was coming through really, really, really fast."

On Stargrass Drive just north of FM 2920 in Spring, a huge tree fell on a pontoon boat.

Neighbors said the owner only had it for a few months and hadn't even put it in the water yet. The boat was destroyed. 

The storms toppled a tree in Timber Lakes - Timber Ridge near the Woodlands in Montgomery County. 

A family came home on Gary Lane to find the rotten tree had fallen through their home. They had recently moved in.

"We lost all of our material stuff, but we're all still alive," said Michael Sparks.  

Sparks said his 3-month-old daughter usually spends her time near a glass door in the direct line of the fallen tree. 

"We let her sit in front of the window so she can get sunlight. So, this is where she had been laying," said Sparks.

A doctor's appointment had them away from the house. They moved what they could salvage into the dry garage. 

"There's about three inches of water on the floor. You can see the roof move at certain times. Since we've stood there, there's been three cracks where you'll see the tree shifting into the house," said Jill Sparks.

She said the family will now have to move and that they don't have renters' insurance.

One man, who asked that his name not be revealed, was hurt when he checked roof damage to his home. He fell off a ladder, spent the night at the hospital and went home Wednesday morning to clean up.

"It got dark and then it got windy and then it kind of calmed down," he said. "Then is started pouring down raining."

He said he didn't expect rain to pour down into his living room Wednesday, but it did because a tree busted a hole in his roof.

The storm also damaged the roof at the Randalls on Panther Creek in the Woodlands.  The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office said that led to an evacuation. 

The store reopened later with limited service and some standing water inside.

At the height of the storm, nearly 150,000 CenterPoint and Entergy customers, combined, were without power.

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