Strong storms moved through the Houston area Thursday morning, where a lightning strike was blamed for an oil refinery fire and streets were quickly flooded by heavy rain, reports weather.com
A Valero refinery in Texas City erupted into flames when a lightning bolt struck a transformer at the site, according to Click2Houston.com. No injuries have been reported, nor are nearby residents in any danger, the report added.
The Texas City Fire Department told the Associated Press that the fire would be monitored and allowed to burn itself out.
Flooding is rapidly becoming a concern the area. Flash flood warnings were issued Thursday morning, and reports of flooded roadways were relayed from city agencies.
More than 15,000 customers in the Houston area lost power during Thursday’s storms, CenterPoint Energy reported to the AP.
“Houston caught a long break after the torrential rains in May and June, but this morning’s storms dropped over 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes in the heart of the city,” said weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. “That kind of rain is bound to cause flash flooding in urban areas.”
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