Severe storms and flooding cause major damage across Texas and Oklahoma: Aon

Aon, a professonal services firm specialising in risk, retirement, and health solutions, has released its latest Weekly Catastrophe Report highlighting severe weather impacts across the United States.

Over the past week, the southern US experienced a series of intense storms, with Texas facing the most significant disruptions.

Multiple rounds of severe weather, including heavy rain, large hail, and strong winds, caused widespread damage, particularly in the Austin and Houston areas.

 

 

Oklahoma also reported notable impacts. The financial toll from these events, including both economic and insured losses, could reach into the billions of dollars.

A combination of slow-moving low-pressure systems and frontal boundaries, along with high atmospheric moisture levels, fuelled repeated severe weather episodes across the southern states between May 22 and May 26.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most intense storms occurred from May 24 to May 26, prompting over 470 reports of severe weather to the Storm Prediction Center, mostly from Texas and Oklahoma. Some hailstones measured over 4 inches (10.2 cm) in diameter, and peak wind gusts exceeded 70 mph (113 kph), particularly in rural parts of northern and central Texas.

Central Texas faced another significant storm event on May 28, when a long-lived supercell thunderstorm tracked about 100 miles (161 km) before reaching the Austin metropolitan area.

This powerful storm produced hailstones approximately 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide, mainly impacting Cedar Park and Austin. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport recorded a 77 mph (124 kph) wind gust caused by a microburst linked to the storm. Severe weather impacts were also reported later in the Houston metro area.

 

 

The May 28 supercell caused extensive hail and wind damage in Austin, leaving over 75,000 customers without power. Local accounts and social media images showed widespread broken windows, dented vehicles, damaged buildings, and downed trees, especially across northern, central, and eastern Austin.

More than 100 utility poles were broken, and power restoration efforts by Austin Energy are expected to take several days. Heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in the city, resulting in one death and five injuries.

Eastern Texas also suffered from severe weather and flooding throughout the week, with approximately 540,000 people losing power.

The Houston metropolitan area—particularly Harris, Montgomery, and Jefferson counties—experienced damage on both May 26 and May 28. Other affected counties included Gregg, Henderson, and Smith.

 

 

Northeastern Oklahoma saw scattered severe weather and flooding as well, with widespread fallen trees causing significant property and vehicle damage in Broken Arrow, near Tulsa.

Most of the material damage resulted from hail and wind during the May 28 storm in Austin. When combined with other flooding and severe weather damage across Texas and Oklahoma, total economic and insured losses are projected to reach into the billions of US dollars.