Powerful winds tore through the New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle on Friday, with gusts approaching 100 mph in some places.

Extreme winds flipped trucks and kicked up blinding dust, shutting down highways in Texas and causing issues across New Mexico and Oklahoma. With visibility near zero and conditions worsening, officials feared more pile-ups would begin to choke roadways.

Strong winds in the Texas Panhandle are being blamed for several car crashes and downed power lines. Gusts are blowing faster than 80 miles per hour in some places. The dust kicked up by the winds are expected to reach North Texas.

The North Texas region is under critical or extreme fire threats on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. This is the first time parts of the area have seen an extreme fire threat in about 16 years,

Strong winds in North Texas have caused numerous flight cancellations and delays at DFW Airport during the busy spring break travel period. Despite the disruptions, the airport remains calm.