Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1672237.015 - Marcos Huerta

Inspection Information - Office: Houston North Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:50 p.m. on May 23, 2023, nine employees and a coworker were framing the second floor of a residential home under construction. Severe thunderstorm warning and tornado warning notifications from the National Weather Service for the area via cellular telephones were received by employees but were ignored. A severe thunderstorm producing hail, rain, and high winds quickly entered the area, so employees took shelter on the first floor of the unfinished home to escape the weather. While sheltered, the structure collapsed on top of the employees. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) surveyed damage the following day from Huntsville to Willis, Texas, and publicly stated that they were confident that the damage was caused by a microburst not a tornado and that winds up to 80 miles per hour were recorded. Emergency responders were dispatched to the site and found the employees in the debris. Two employees were killed, and the remaining seven employees were injured and transported to the hospital for treatment.

Keywords: Collapse, Framing, High Wind, Residential Construction, Structural Collapse, Weather