May 10, 1999: Severe storms blow out windows in downtown Houston, derail train

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A line of severe storms with 60-70 mile per hour winds raced through Houston before dawn on Monday, May 10, 1999.

The severe winds blew out office windows in downtown skyscrapers, raining down computers on the streets below.

Hundreds of trees were uprooted, numerous powerlines were downed, and many rooftops were damaged along the I-10 corridor from Katy to Baytown. In fact, both Taylor High School in Katy and Sterling High School in Baytown sustained roof damage.

A second line of severe storms rumbled through in the late afternoon, knocking 49 railroad cars off their tracks in Galveston County near Santa Fe.

The severe storms in Texas that day caused over $2 million in damages, most of it here in the Houston region.