“I know that many people lived through, and are still living through, scary situations with the terrible strong winds that blew across our county tonight,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement Friday morning.
“Damage assessments are ongoing, and we cannot know how long it will take to clear debris without those assessments completed, but from initial reports the debris looks very significant,” Hidalgo said.
Classes were canceled for the 400,000 students in the Houston Independent School District.
Officials urged all but essential employees to work from home if possible, and the Houston Police Department told residents to avoid traveling downtown.
Two of the four people who died in Texas were killed by falling trees, while a third died when a crane blew over, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said at a news briefing. No information was given about the fourth. Whitmire said a possible fifth death is being investigated, but it’s not yet clear if it was related to the weather.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked emergency personnel in a statement, saying work is ongoing to assist communities affected by the storms.
“Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives due to severe weather in Southeast Texas, and we remain in contact with local officials to do everything we can to protect Texans and help our communities recover,” Abbott stated.