Thousands in North Texas woke up this morning to find their homes without power after severe weather blew through the area overnight.

As of 6:30 a.m., there were about 5,000 outages in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to Cristi Ramon, a spokeswoman for Oncor. While Occupy Dallas protesters donned ponchos and took shelter in their tents as rain fell down on Pioneer Plaza, drivers across North Texas reported accidents and high water.


Interstate 635 has been a big problem area for drivers, with multiple wrecks reported.

Police in Garland said rain, high speeds and alcohol may have played a role in a deadly accident on eastbound Interstate 635. Three women and two men in their 20s were inside the SUV that drove off the interstate, onto an embankment and into a lamp post.

One woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The four others in the SUV were taken to area hospitals, with two rushed to Parkland Hospital and the other two taken to Baylor Hospital.

High water also led to the closure of the westbound State Highway 114 ramp northbound to State Highway 121. The northbound 121 traffic was detoured to a U-turn just north of the parking control plaza at the north entrance at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

"The rain should taper off this afternoon," said Greg Fields, WFAA meteorologist, in the Daybreak newscast. "At about lunchtime, we should be in the upper 70s and low 80s by 5 p.m."

Those who are without power can report the problem to Oncor by calling 1-888-313-4747.