At least four dead in Houston after ‘extraordinarily’ strong storm hits Texas: mayor

At least four people died Thursday after an “extraordinarily” strong storm hit Houston, according to the mayor John Whitmire.

Wind gusts reached speeds of 78 miles per hour in the area.

According to authorities, preliminary investigations indicate that two people died due to falling trees and an overturned crane.

Whitmire urged residents to stay home, saying the city was in “recovery mode” and Houston-area schools would close Friday.

As of Friday morning, more than 788,000 customers are without power in Texas.

The strong winds came after a rare “high risk” flash flood warning was issued in Texas and Louisiana, with the states bracing for up to 9 inches of rain in 24 hours.

“In the last two weeks alone, the high-risk area received over 600% of normal rainfall,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned, and the flash flooding could be life-threatening.

According to the Weather Prediction Center, “high risk” days account for just 4% of days but account for more than a third of flood deaths.

MORE: US is experiencing more tornado outbreaks despite having fewer tornado days overall, researchers say

The threat of severe weather in Houston is now over, allowing residents to begin cleanup efforts on Friday.

The severe weather threat has now shifted east, with damaging winds and large hail possible from Louisiana to Georgia.

At least four dead in Houston after ‘extraordinarily’ strong storm hits Texas: Mayor originally appeared on abcnews.go.com