Deadly storms rip through US state of Texas, killing 4

HOUSTON, US

A band of severe thunderstorms ripped through the US state of Texas late Thursday, killing at least four people in Houston, according to media outlets.

Heavy winds from the storm blew out windows in high-rise buildings, toppled trees and downed power lines throughout the city, leaving more than one million people without electricity.

"We had a storm with 100 mile-per-hour (160 kilometer-per-hour) winds, the equivalent of Hurricane Ike," said Houston Mayor John Whitmire at a news conference, referring to the 2008 Category 4 hurricane which caused severe wind damage to the Houston area.

Whitmire said two people died from falling trees. A third person was killed when a crane toppled over. It is unclear what caused the fourth victim's death.

Flash flooding submerged cars on streets and highways, requiring tow trucks to pull them out of the high waters.

There were unofficial reports of several tornadoes touching down in the region.

Whitmire said the major concern right now is cleanup and managing traffic, since most traffic lights are out throughout the city.

The mayor urged residents to remain inside for the next 24 to 48 hours to allow for live wires to be removed from streets and glass and debris to be cleaned up citywide. He even made a plea to local businesses to allow employees to stay home on Friday.

"We’re in recovery mode," said Whitmire. "If you’re not an essential worker, don’t go to work tomorrow."

The Houston Independent School District, which is the state's largest district, with nearly 200,000 students, canceled classes on all campuses Friday due to the damage and power outages.

"Downtown is a mess," said Whitmire. "Stay at home tonight, stay at home tomorrow."