Breaking: Texas Legislature Just Passed a Game-Changing Law — Here’s What You Need to Know

Texans from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast are bracing for another round of volatile spring weather after a nocturnal squall line knocked out electricity to more than 150,000 customers, snapped trees, and pelted cars with egg-size hail overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. The National Weather Service says a fresh cluster of supercells is expected to redevelop this afternoon along the Interstate 35 corridor and track east toward Houston, Beaumont and the Piney Woods, keeping much of Central and Southeast Texas under an enhanced risk for damaging wind gusts topping 70 mph, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. Forecasters warn that flash-flooding is possible in low-lying neighborhoods that are already saturated after a wetter-than-normal May. Power crews scramble to restore electricity CenterPoint Energy reported peak outages of 90,000 meters in the Houston metro while Oncor logged roughly 45,000 customers without power across North Texas. Crews cleared downed lines around Katy, Conroe and The Woodlands before sunrise, but officials say full restoration could take days in the hardest-hit pockets where winds ripped roofs off mobile homes and toppled transmission poles. Residents are urged to keep generators outdoors and away from windows to avoid carbon-monoxide poisoning. Hail damage adds to rising insurance costs Preliminary storm surveys list hundreds of shattered windshields from Fredericksburg to College Station, adding pressure to a property-insurance market that has already seen double-digit premium hikes statewide. A new law eliminating the so-called “widow penalty” on home and auto policies takes effect September 1, and consumer advocates say yesterday’s hail barrage underscores why the reforms couldn’t come soon enough. School schedules and travel plans disrupted Several school districts, including Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and Round Rock ISD, canceled morning classes due to widespread outages and debris-strewn bus routes. At Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport, more than 120 flights were delayed or diverted, and Austin–Bergstrom saw brief ground stops as lightning lit up the pre-dawn sky. Texas Department of Transportation crews are clearing fallen branches along U.S. 290 and Interstate 10, but officials advise drivers to expect lane closures through the evening rush. What’s next in the forecast Meteorologists say a slow-moving upper-level trough will keep the atmosphere primed for severe storms through at least Friday. The risk shifts east late tonight, but a trailing cold front could spark new thunderstorms Thursday from San Antonio toward the Coastal Bend, followed by a rare taste of drier, cooler air for Memorial Day weekend. Safety checklist for families • Charge mobile phones and portable battery packs before storms arrive. • Move vehicles under sturdy cover to avoid hail impacts. • Secure patio furniture and trash bins that could become wind-borne projectiles. • Review your tornado safety plan—know the closest interior, windowless room on the lowest floor. • Stock flashlights, extra water, and non-perishable food in case of extended outages. As Texans prove every spring, preparedness is the best defense against nature’s extremes. Stay weather-aware, monitor reliable local alerts, and check on neighbors—especially seniors—until the last watch or warning is lifted across the Lone Star State.