Hangar Collapses at Houston Airport Due to Intense Winds
Intense winds swept through Houston Tuesday night causing a hangar at Hobby Airport (HOU) to collapse and blow onto nearby planes. Wind speed was measured at more than 60mph, said KPRC 2 Houston.
The hangar that collapsed was a private hangar currently leased by Jet Linx. The National Weather Service confirmed that the wind responsible for the damage was a microburst — which can easily reach speeds between 70 and 100mph. NWS meteorologist, Dan Reilly, said that a microburst is "air that descends, hits the ground and spreads out. It's just as damaging as a tornado."
Intense winds cause hangar collapse at @HobbyAirport --> https://t.co/AzblsREQ01 pic.twitter.com/t3oevmrRwx
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) April 4, 2018
The damage only haltered operations at one runway, although debris was found as far as 200 yards from where the hangar collapsed.
"It's a big concern. It's something that we are diligent in something we address," Bill Begley, spokesman for Hobby Airport, told KPRC 2 Houston. Hobby officials said that a fence will be erected around the runway to prevent additional debris from interfering with anymore flights.
The wind affected much of Southeast Houston; no injuries have been reported.
