Floods caused by more than a foot of rain in Houston have submerged hundreds of homes and several major highways, closed schools and knocked out power to thousands of residents who were urged to shelter in place.

Sylvester Turner, mayor of the nation’s fourth-largest city, told residents to stay home to fend off a weather system he called “stubborn”. Forecasters predict more rain over the next two to three days.

At least 100 people were forced from their homes by the waters, and taken from apartments in the north of the city to a shelter at a shopping mall.

Harris County judge Ed Emmett, the county’s chief administrator, said more than 1,000 homes were flooded. “This is a rain event that’s very significant, no question about it,” he said. “Many of those homes haven’t flooded before.”

Rain gauges in parts of Harris County, which includes most of Houston, showed water levels approaching 20in late on Sunday night, and officials reported 13 bayous and creeks out of their banks. Turner said seven bayous within Houston were topped. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.