Thousands Lose Power in Houston, Austin Storms

By: Associated Press Email

Posted: Fri 7:41 AM, May 11, 2012

Thousands of homes and businesses have lost electricity as thunderstorms swept through parts of Texas.

CenterPoint Energy reported about 7,300 customers in the Houston area without power Friday. The National Weather Service expected more rain by afternoon.

About 3,000 Austin Energy customers lost electricity overnight during storms, but utility officials say that number had dwindled to a few dozen by Friday morning.

Oncor reported nearly 1,900 customers without power Friday in the rainy Dallas-Fort Worth area, plus Central Texas and the Midland-Odessa area.

Authorities say an apparent tornado touched down in the Southeast Texas town of Weimar late Thursday. Eight people in a trailer in a school parking lot were slightly hurt. More than two dozen cars of a freight train derailed amid the strong winds.

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Thousands Lose Power in Houston, Austin Storms

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