The crashes happened just before 5 a.m. on I-10 near the Trinity River, just east of FM-565, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The first crash happened in the westbound lanes, and the second crash happened just after the first in the same direction, slightly east of the first fatality.
A man from North Carolina driving to see family in Texas sent ABC13 a photo of the backup.
In the photo, one of the vehicles appears to have caught fire, and another went off-road into a ditch.
According to DPS, in one of the crashes, a Mazda hit the back of a commercial vehicle as it slowed for traffic.
Further details about the victims in each crash were not immediately released. The investigations are ongoing.
ABC13 has real-time traffic data to help you navigate Houston's roads and avoid traffic delays.
Sign up for traffic alerts that are sent straight to your phone through our ABC13 app.
Manage your notifications from the settings tab.
On mobile, use two fingers to zoom in to specific roads.
Live traffic map