In response to severe storms that have left more than 500,000 customers without power, the city of Houston opened new distribution centers to provide water to affected residents. The storms, which struck on Thursday with tornadoes and 100 mph straight-line winds, have been linked to seven deaths in the region.

Houston was expected to reach a high of 90 degrees on Saturday, exacerbating the recovery efforts. The deadly weather caused significant damage, including shattered windows in downtown Houston, fallen trees, and a fire sparked by lightning.

The fatalities include four in Houston and three in unincorporated Harris County. As of 11 a.m. Saturday, poweroutage.us reported that over 500,000 customers in Houston and Harris County were still without electricity. CenterPoint Energy’s Lynnae Wilson, Senior Vice President for Electric Business, noted that crews have a challenging task ahead to restore power.

Three schools in the Houston Independent School District were also damaged: one with a tree fallen into a classroom, another with approximately 12 windows shattered, and a third with a collapsed wall. Superintendent Mike Miles mentioned that around 90 of the district’s more than 270 schools are without power. Decisions about reopening schools on Monday will depend on the restoration of electricity.

Elsewhere, about 4 million people from southern Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle were under flood watches. The National Weather Service warned of potential flash flooding due to 1 to 3 inches of additional rain on already saturated ground. Roads in some areas were already flooded.

The Central and Northern Plains are forecast to experience storms starting Sunday, affecting approximately 2 million people in Kansas, southern Nebraska, and northern Oklahoma. Cities like Wichita and Topeka could face large hail and damaging winds.