Welcome to the news hour. Houston and other parts of the Gulf Coast are dealing with the aftermath of intense storms that have been hammering the region. At least four people were killed in Houston after Hurricane Force winds tore through the city,

and more than 700,000 customers remain without power

in Texas and Louisiana, as utility crews

worked to address it.

Ali Rogan has our report.

Today the Houston area is littered with debris.

Downtown is at a standstill and the city school district was closed after an evening of deadly storms.

It was fierce, it was intense, it was quick, and most used on us didn't have time to place themselves out of harm's way.

It all began late yesterday

when ominous clouds rolled into the region.

I realize it was pretty bad when it got black. I mean it really got dark.

Soon torrential rain and fierce winds lashed the area.

Officials say gust in some places reached 100 miles per hour.

There were even reports of potential tornadoes.

The storm easily knocked out electricity.

I witness video The storm easily knocked out electricity.

Eyewitness video caught the moment the lights went out

as hundreds of customers took shelter in a Costco.

Emergency officials called the damage to transmission lines catastrophic and said it could take weeks to restore power in some places.

In downtown Houston, the storm's shattered windows and high-rises, leaving the streets below littered with

glass. At a briefing today, State Representative Jollanda Jones warned people to

keep out. You need to stay away from downtown. I literally just came from there. There's glass everywhere.

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