Just before 5 p.m. this evening the skies in Conroe darkened and within 30 minutes high winds accompanied with heavy rains moved through Conroe. Freeway traffic came to a crawl, people were met with what they thought were hurricane force winds as they attempted to walk across shopping center parking lots avoiding rolling shopping baskets.
Water fell from the banks of the construction area on Interstate 45 under Loop 336 like a waterfall then flowing into an open sewer drain. Water stood on the service roads of Interstate 45 near Gladstell as police tried to make their way through water and traffic to get to a major accident in which a pickup hydroplaned on the freeway, spun and slammed into the center barrier. The driver with a possible head injury was transported to Conroe Regional Medical Center.
A tree was reported down on Longmire and several others near FM 1314 and the South Loop. According to the NWS there was not a tornado in the area but straight line wind.
