Winds gusts of up to 30 mph created conditions ripe for disaster in drought-parched Houston on Saturday.

The strong winds - a companion of Tropical Storm Lee - contributed to one death, several wildfires and roughly 18,000 residents losing electricity in the Houston region Saturday.

A man, 35-year-old B.J. Petty, of Lubbock, drowned while boogie boarding at Galveston Beach around 10 a.m., according to Galveston Island Beach Patrol.

His body was found near 47th Street and Seawall Boulevard, about 100 yards offshore. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, said Peter Davis, chief of Galveston Beach Patrol.

The rough winds and waves were a factor in Petty being pushed out to sea. "The wind is what got him and it probably took the (boogie) board out of his hands," said Davis. "It's really choppy once you get 50 yards out."

The strong winds also played a role in several wildfires, including a 20-acre blaze that broke out about 11 a.m. in northwest Harris county on Hafer Road near FM 1960.

Houston firefighters battled two grass fires on the south side of town, one near South Dairy Ashford and Huntington Estates and the other on Eton Street at Park Place Boulevard.

A smaller fire near Highlands caused enough concern that authorities called in help from the Texas Forest Service, which sent two bulldozers. Glen Chisholm, district chief with the Highlands Fire Department, said a five-acre woods fire that broke out about 10:30 a.m. came within about 10 feet of a house before being subdued about 3 p.m.

About 18,000 CenterPoint Energy customers were without power due to outages in the area due to the strong winds, said company spokeswoman Alicia Dixon.

Dixon said tree limbs and branches to blow into power lines as well as other lines blowing into one another were causing the outages.

"We've got people out there working to restore it throughout the day and the evening," she said.

Temperatures were in the mid-90s and winds blew at about 20 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts of about 30 miles per hour, said National Weather Service staff meteorologist Patrick Blood, adding that the winds were caused by Tropical Storm Lee, which battered Louisiana Saturday.

Weather officials expect another wind advisory to be issued Sunday, as well as a red flag for fire, due to the strong winds and low humidity, Blood said.

There is also a 20 to 30 percent of rain moving in from the east later Sunday.

"It's slowly inching our way," Blood said, noting that Harris County could experience some light showers.

Staff writer Anna Gallegos contributed to this report.

anita.hassan@chron.com

carol.christian@chron.com