Fast-moving thunderstorms have pummelled southeastern Texas killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings, downing trees and knocking out power to more than 850,000 homes and businesses.
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Officials on Thursday urged residents to keep off roads, as many were impassable and traffic lights were expected to be out for much of the night.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said four people died during the severe weather. At least two of the deaths were caused by falling trees, and another happened when a crane blew over in strong winds, officials said.
Streets were flooded, and trees and power lines were down across the region. Whitmire said wind speeds reached 160km/h "with some twisters". He said the powerful gusts were reminiscent of 2008's Hurricane Ike, which pounded the city.
Hundreds of windows were shattered at downtown hotels and office buildings, with glass littering the streets below, and the state was sending Department of Public Safety officers to secure the area.
"Downtown is a mess," Whitmire said.
There was a backlog of 911 calls that first responders were working through, he added.
The Houston Independent School District cancelled classes on Friday for some 400,000 students at all its 274 campuses.
The storm system moved through swiftly, but flood watches and warnings remained for Houston and areas to the east. The ferocious storms moved into neighbouring Louisiana and left more than 170,000 customers without power.
Flights were briefly grounded at Houston's two major airports. Sustained winds topping 96km/h were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
About 855,000 customers were without electricity in and around Harris County, which contains Houston, according to poweroutage.us. The county is home to more than 4.7 million people.
The problems extended to the city's suburbs, with emergency officials in neighbouring Montgomery County describing the damage to transmission lines as "catastrophic" and warning that power could be impacted for several days.
It comes after heavy storms slammed the region in the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.
Australian Associated Press
