Almost 1 million without power

Deaths in severe thunderstorms in the US state of Texas

(Bild: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle)

Severe storms claimed the lives of at least four people in the Texas city of Houston and the surrounding area on Thursday. Two of them were killed by falling trees, fire chief Samuel Peña announced in the evening.

Another person died when a crane toppled over. There was initially no further information on the fourth victim. A violent storm with wind speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour swept through the metropolis of millions in the south of the USA, said Mayor John Whitmire.

Schools remain closed on Friday
There was severe damage in the city center. "There is glass everywhere on the streets, the traffic lights are out", added Whitmire. He called on residents to stay at home if possible. Schools were to remain closed on Friday.

(Bild: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle)

Almost one million households without power
According to reports, hundreds of windows in high-rise buildings were broken due to the strong winds. Power pylons were also toppled and overhead lines damaged (see picture below). According to the website Poweroutage.us, almost one million households in Texas were still without electricity on Friday night. In neighboring Louisiana, which was also hit by the storms, around 100,000 households were without power.

Because the storm also damaged overhead lines, almost one million households in Texas were without power on Friday night.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

600 percent more rain than usual
In both US states, 600 percent more rain than usual has fallen in the past two weeks, according to the weather service on CNN. This is also due to climate change. Four people had already been killed in severe storms in the south of the USA in the past few days.