Punishing winds destroy gas station roof near Victoria

MCFADDIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Violent winds and pelting rains are battering the Victoria area, where we found reporter Tom Abrahams early this morning.

Officials told Eyewitness News the winds on the northeastern end of Hurricane Harvey's eyewall are only at 60 mph, but the gusts are significantly higher than that.

The severity of the storm forced our camera crew to drive 20 minutes south of Victoria, where they found a gas station with heavy damage on US-77.

Abrahams showed us how the beating winds demolished the roof of the gas station, its metal awning toppling to the ground below.

Fiberglass from the roof collapsed around the gas station's pumps, forming a sort of barricade as rain bands and punishing winds push through the area.

For now, there doesn't seem to be many people out in the elements.

Our news crew said they did not see people on the streets. They also noticed no power for at least several miles, the only light guiding them being that of the news truck's headlights.

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