A severe thunderstorm left a trail of destruction through the Houston region Thursday evening after torrential rain and high winds resulted in at least seven deaths. The storm left nearly a million people without power and caused damage to buildings, cars and roads.

Severe storms tore through the Houston area Thursday evening, causing widespread damage, killing at least four people and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. Gale force winds up to 100 mph knocked over power lines, blew out windows and toppled trees throughout the region.

At least seven people were killed in the Houston area on Thursday as a destructive complex of storms with winds up to 100 mph tore through the area, triggering power outages that could stretch on for weeks amid soaring temperatures. The death toll rose Friday evening from the four fatalities officials reported earlier in the day.

Seven people were killed after intense thunderstorms swept through Texas on Thursday, bringing heavy rain, destructive winds and dangerous flooding to portions of the state that had already been inundated this month, and leaving nearly a million customers along the Gulf Coast without power on Friday.

HOUSTON - A line of severe thunderstorms swept through southeastern Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, blasting the Houston area with incredible winds reaching up to 100 mph that left at least seven dead - including a mother of a newborn - and more than 1 million power customers without electricity.