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Tag Archives: tornadoes
Helldivers 2 Patch Includes Fire Tornadoes, Meteor Showers, Mission Changes, Bug Fixes, And More – Game Informer
- Helldivers 2 Patch Includes Fire Tornadoes, Meteor Showers, Mission Changes, Bug Fixes, And More Game Informer
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- Helldivers 2 patch nerfs the best guns as designer says the balancing process will be “never-ending” Rock Paper Shotgun
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Southeast tornadoes: Authorities are ‘finding more bodies,’ coroner says, a day after 35 tornadoes reportedly struck the South and left at least 7 dead
CNN
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At least seven people, including a child, were killed Thursday as severe storms swept across the South, where ferocious winds sent residents running for cover, blew roofs off homes and knocked out power to thousands.
Yet the death toll could rise, as authorities were “finding more bodies” Friday morning in central Alabama’s hard-hit Autauga County, Coroner Buster Barber said.
Recovery efforts will continue Friday after the storms damaged power lines, severed tree limbs and sent debris flying into streets in Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky, where at least 35 preliminary tornado reports were recorded as of Thursday evening, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
At least six people died in Alabama’s Autauga County, Barber had said Thursday. In Georgia’s Butts County, a 5-year-old was killed when a tree fell on top of a car, the county’s coroner Lacey Prue told CNN affiliate WSB.
In Selma, Alabama – known for its role in the civil rights movement and home to about 17,000 people – a huge tornado left behind widespread destruction. At a tax office, Deborah Brown and others had to rush to safety after seeing what looked like a tornado rolling down the street, she said.
“We could have been gone, y’all,” Brown said in a Facebook video. “We had to run for cover. We had to go run and jump in the closet.”
The tornado that struck Selma likely was on the ground for at least 50 miles and caused damage to seven counties, National Weather Service Meteorologist Gerald Satterwhite said. It probably was an EF-2 or EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, he said, meaning the twister packed wind gusts of least 111 mph.
In adjacent Autauga County, at least two tornado reports were made.
Thursday’s severe storms left about 45,000 homes and businesses still in the dark Friday morning across Georgia and Alabama, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us.
The storms marked the latest bout of severe weather to turn deadly in the US as experts point to the human-induced climate crisis as a cause for such extreme events. Millions in California are reeling from weeks of flooding rain that has killed at least 18 people and left thousands without power.
Rescue and cleanup operations are due to resume Friday as what’s left of the storms moves by late afternoon through the Florida Peninsula, leaving cooler, sunny weather across the region.
Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. asked residents to conserve water as their treatment facilities are affected by the power outages.
“We’ve got to layer up and get ready,” Perkins said as temperatures in the area began to fall, with overnight lows over the next several days to dip below freezing.
Governors in Alabama and Georgia both declared states of emergency in stricken areas to help with rescue and cleanup efforts.
“We always keep in mind that while weather events are intriguing from a scientific perspective, they can result in deep and lasting impacts to people. Our thoughts are with those impacted by today’s severe weather,” the National Weather Service in Birmingham said in a tweet.
“My prayers are with their loved ones and communities,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a tweet. “We are far too familiar with devastating weather, but our people are resilient. We will get through it and be stronger for it.”
In addition to destruction caused by tornadoes and powerful storms, damaging winds spun across the region from Mississippi to Virginia.
Across the South and the central US, more than 160 damaging wind reports were recorded in Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. Nineteen severe hail reports were recorded in Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia.
In northeast Mississippi, several buildings lay flattened or severely damaged in Monroe County after a storm passed through Thursday morning, video tweeted by the state’s emergency management agency shows. No injuries were reported there, the agency said.
Tornado damage in Alabama’s Dallas County – home to Selma – spanned the length of the county, coroner William Alan Dailey said in a video conference.
Krishun Moore’s house in Selma was torn up when a storm sent her and her mother to shelter in their bathroom, she said. “All we heard was wind and the whole house was shaking,” Moore told CNN, adding no one was injured.
Priscilla Lewis, who shared photos of the damage in Selma with CNN, said the damage made it nearly impossible to leave the downtown area Thursday. No deaths were reported in Dallas County as of Thursday, but some residents suffered injuries.
“This is a disaster area. Power lines are down and trees are down – this is really dangerous,” Dallas County Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn said during a news conference.
In neighboring Autauga County, at least 20 homes were either damaged or destroyed, according to Gary Weaver, the deputy director of the county’s emergency management agency.
Damage survey teams will be in the field over the next several days across the area, the National Weather Service in Birmingham said.
Due to the storms’ extensive impact on some roads in Georgia, some students had been unable to leave four middle schools south of Atlanta, according to their school system Thursday night.
By Friday morning, more than two dozen students were reunited with their families, Griffin-Spalding County School System said in a social media post, after being required to shelter on school grounds because storm debris had blocked access to roadways.
Spalding County, where the school district is located, declared a state of emergency Thursday due to a reported tornado in the community, officials said on Facebook, urging residents to shelter in place. Parts of the state were under a tornado watch Thursday night.
“When you start getting onto the roads, there’s going to be no way to get to where you’re going,” said T.J. Imberger, Spalding County public works director.
The Griffin-Spalding School District will be closed Friday as the area recovers from the severe storms.
Major winter storm threatens powerful tornadoes in the South and heavy snow and freezing rain across the Plains and Midwest
A major, multi-hazard storm is barreling across the country on Tuesday and continues to bring the risk of strong tornadoes and flooding to the South, and ice and snow to the Plains and Upper Midwest.
The storm, which triggered deadly floods in California over the weekend, has tracked east and is pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into the South, where above-normal temperatures have set the stage for severe thunderstorms.
More than 35 million people are under some sort of severe weather threat in the South, with the highest risk near the Gulf Coast. Southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi and Alabama were under a level 3 out of 5 “enhanced” risk of severe weather. Places like Baton Rouge, Montgomery and Gulfport could all see strong storms. A level 2 out of 5 “slight” risk of severe weather covered Nashville, New Orleans and Atlanta.
Strong tornadoes, large hail and wind gusts topping 70 mph are possible in the most extreme thunderstorms.
“Severe convection with all three modes (tornadoes, hail and damaging winds) is likely,” the National Weather Service office in Mobile warned.
Heavy rainfall associated with these thunderstorms could also trigger significant flash flooding across the South. Southeastern Alabama and Southwest Georgia are under a level 3 out of 4 “moderate” risk of excessive rainfall. Portions of Southeast Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia are also under a level 2 out of 4 “slight” risk of excessive rainfall.
Rainfall totals could reach 2 to 4 inches across the South through Wednesday, while some areas could see up to 6 inches.
The system produced dangerous thunderstorms overnight. By 6 a.m., 30 storm reports had been submitted to the National Weather Service, including two tornado reports, 22 high wind reports and six large hail reports. One of the tornadoes that was reported was in Jonesboro, Louisiana, where large trees were knocked downed and damaged. The other was reported in Haywood, Tennessee.
Damage was also reported after a possible tornado in Jessieville, Arkansas, according to Garland County officials.
“Damage was sustained to areas of (a) school due to trees, and power lines. The school was currently in session at the time, however all students have been accounted for and reports of no injury,” the Garland County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
In Jackson Parish, Louisiana, residents were told to stay off the roads as the severe weather toppled trees and covered roadways with water. Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Department said tarps will be given out to those whose homes are damaged.
“We are trying to work to get to houses that are damaged and clear roads,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
As the risk persists, forecasters have been concerned about tornadoes forming at night, according to Brad Bryant of the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“You can’t see them coming. A lot of the time, people are asleep and not paying attention to the weather,” Bryant said. “Many areas around here don’t have good cell phone coverage and storm alerts are not as effective in those areas, especially once people are asleep.”
Anyone in areas at risk of tornadoes should seek safe shelter immediately, Bryant said.
“If you wait around for a warning to be issued, it is too late,” Bryant said Monday. “You need to have a safe shelter plan in place in advance of these storms.”
Damage reports were also coming from across northern Louisiana, including several transmission highline towers being damaged in the Haile community in Marion. One of the towers was knocked over and several others are damaged, according to the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
A wind gust of 81 mph was reported in Adair, Oklahoma – a gust equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
As the South braces for floods and tornadoes, the storm continues to bring heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across the Plains and Upper Midwest on Tuesday, significantly impacting travel.
Over 15 million people are under winter weather alerts from Colorado to Michigan.
Residents in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota are likely to see intense snow rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour.
Blowing and drifting snow on Tuesday may result in snow-covered roads and make it “hazardous, if not impossible” to travel, the weather service warned.
Road conditions were already deteriorating Monday night in northwestern Iowa, northern Nebraska and eastern South Dakota, according to the weather service in Omaha. Portions of northern Nebraska have already reported nearly a foot of snow and could get an additional 12 to 18 inches on Tuesday, according to the weather service.
Roughly 200 miles of eastbound Interstate 80 in Wyoming, from Evanston to Rawlins, are closed due to the ongoing impacts of the storm, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The department said westbound traffic is further blocked from the Rawlins section of I-80 to the Interstate-25 junction in Cheyenne, which covers more than 120 miles.
“Snow (and) blowing snow to impact Wyoming roads into tonight,” an agency Facebook post read. “A high wind event will then create blowing (and) drifting snow, poor visibility and possible whiteout conditions Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon for sections of I-80, I-25, South Pass and various secondary roads!”
“If you can, please stay home. If you must travel, ensure you have an emergency kit in your car,” the weather service in Sioux Falls told residents, saying travel will become difficult to impossible by Tuesday morning.
A vehicle winter emergency kit includes snacks and water, a battery-powered weather radio, flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit, a shovel and ice scraper, a jumper cable and other items.
Significant ice accumulations from freezing rain are expected, possibly over a quarter inch, from northeastern Nebraska through northwestern Iowa into southern Minnesota.
The freezing rain poses a significant hazard to those on foot. Even a light glaze can make for slippery sidewalks and driveways. Accumulations more than 0.25 inches can cause scattered power outages and break tree limbs, the weather service says.
Major winter storm threatens powerful tornadoes in the South and heavy snow and freezing rain across the Plains and Midwest
A major, multi-hazard storm is barreling across the country on Tuesday and continues to bring the risk of strong tornadoes and flooding to the South, and ice and snow to the Plains and Upper Midwest.
The storm, which triggered deadly floods in California over the weekend, has tracked east and is pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into the South, where above-normal temperatures have set the stage for severe thunderstorms.
More than 35 million people are under some sort of severe weather threat in the South, with the highest risk near the Gulf Coast. Southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi and Alabama were under a level 3 out of 5 “enhanced” risk of severe weather. Places like Baton Rouge, Montgomery and Gulfport could all see strong storms. A level 2 out of 5 “slight” risk of severe weather covered Nashville, New Orleans and Atlanta.
Strong tornadoes, large hail and wind gusts topping 70 mph are possible in the most extreme thunderstorms.
“Severe convection with all three modes (tornadoes, hail and damaging winds) is likely,” the National Weather Service office in Mobile warned.
Heavy rainfall associated with these thunderstorms could also trigger significant flash flooding across the South. Southeastern Alabama and Southwest Georgia are under a level 3 out of 4 “moderate” risk of excessive rainfall. Portions of Southeast Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia are also under a level 2 out of 4 “slight” risk of excessive rainfall.
Rainfall totals could reach 2 to 4 inches across the South through Wednesday, while some areas could see up to 6 inches.
The system produced dangerous thunderstorms overnight. By 6 a.m., 30 storm reports had been submitted to the National Weather Service, including two tornado reports, 22 high wind reports and six large hail reports. One of the tornadoes that was reported was in Jonesboro, Louisiana, where large trees were knocked downed and damaged. The other was reported in Haywood, Tennessee.
Damage was also reported after a possible tornado in Jessieville, Arkansas, according to Garland County officials.
“Damage was sustained to areas of (a) school due to trees, and power lines. The school was currently in session at the time, however all students have been accounted for and reports of no injury,” the Garland County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
In Jackson Parish, Louisiana, residents were told to stay off the roads as the severe weather toppled trees and covered roadways with water. Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Department said tarps will be given out to those whose homes are damaged.
“We are trying to work to get to houses that are damaged and clear roads,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
As the risk persists, forecasters have been concerned about tornadoes forming at night, according to Brad Bryant of the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“You can’t see them coming. A lot of the time, people are asleep and not paying attention to the weather,” Bryant said. “Many areas around here don’t have good cell phone coverage and storm alerts are not as effective in those areas, especially once people are asleep.”
Anyone in areas at risk of tornadoes should seek safe shelter immediately, Bryant said.
“If you wait around for a warning to be issued, it is too late,” Bryant said Monday. “You need to have a safe shelter plan in place in advance of these storms.”
Damage reports were also coming from across northern Louisiana, including several transmission highline towers being damaged in the Haile community in Marion. One of the towers was knocked over and several others are damaged, according to the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
A wind gust of 81 mph was reported in Adair, Oklahoma – a gust equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
As the South braces for floods and tornadoes, the storm continues to bring heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across the Plains and Upper Midwest on Tuesday, significantly impacting travel.
Over 15 million people are under winter weather alerts from Colorado to Michigan.
Residents in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota are likely to see intense snow rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour.
Blowing and drifting snow on Tuesday may result in snow-covered roads and make it “hazardous, if not impossible” to travel, the weather service warned.
Road conditions were already deteriorating Monday night in northwestern Iowa, northern Nebraska and eastern South Dakota, according to the weather service in Omaha. Portions of northern Nebraska have already reported nearly a foot of snow and could get an additional 12 to 18 inches on Tuesday, according to the weather service.
Roughly 200 miles of eastbound Interstate 80 in Wyoming, from Evanston to Rawlins, are closed due to the ongoing impacts of the storm, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The department said westbound traffic is further blocked from the Rawlins section of I-80 to the Interstate-25 junction in Cheyenne, which covers more than 120 miles.
“Snow (and) blowing snow to impact Wyoming roads into tonight,” an agency Facebook post read. “A high wind event will then create blowing (and) drifting snow, poor visibility and possible whiteout conditions Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon for sections of I-80, I-25, South Pass and various secondary roads!”
“If you can, please stay home. If you must travel, ensure you have an emergency kit in your car,” the weather service in Sioux Falls told residents, saying travel will become difficult to impossible by Tuesday morning.
A vehicle winter emergency kit includes snacks and water, a battery-powered weather radio, flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit, a shovel and ice scraper, a jumper cable and other items.
Significant ice accumulations from freezing rain are expected, possibly over a quarter inch, from northeastern Nebraska through northwestern Iowa into southern Minnesota.
The freezing rain poses a significant hazard to those on foot. Even a light glaze can make for slippery sidewalks and driveways. Accumulations more than 0.25 inches can cause scattered power outages and break tree limbs, the weather service says.
Millions are at risk of tornadoes in the South as a winter storm threatens intense snow and dangerously icy conditions in the Midwest
A potent winter storm that turned deadly in California is now threatening powerful tornadoes in the South and heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain in the Midwest.
More than 3 million people are under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. CT in parts of Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Another tornado watch has also been issued for eastern Oklahoma, southeast Kansas and northwest Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
And tornadoes are not the only risk in the region. Large hail – potentially up to 2 inches in diameter – and thrashing winds of up to 70 mph are possible “well into the night across much of the area,” the Storm Prediction Center warned.
Anyone in areas at risk of tornadoes should seek safe shelter immediately, said Brad Bryant, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“If you wait around for a warning to be issued, it is too late,” Bryant said Monday. “You need to have a safe shelter plan in place in advance of these storms.”
He encouraged anyone needing help – especially those living in mobile homes – to contact local emergency mangers or law enforcement for sheltering options.
“Since mid-November we’ve had three rounds of severe weather and we have had fatalities, most of which have occurred in mobile homes,” Bryant said.
In response to the severe weather and flash flooding expected in parts of Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources Monday.
“The State of Texas is proactively working to ensure Texans and their property remain safe from severe weather threats that could impact eastern regions of our state today and early tomorrow,” Abbott said in a statement. “As we monitor conditions and potential threats, I urge Texans in affected areas to heed the guidance of local officials and remain weather-aware as severe weather systems develop. We will swiftly provide all necessary resources to address severe weather and protect our communities.”
From Missouri down to the Gulf Coast, more than 30 million people are at risk for severe weather Monday, CNN Meteorologist Dave Hennen said.
And more tornadoes and damaging winds are possible Tuesday in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as the storm moves east.
Farther north, more than 15 million people from Utah to Wisconsin are under winter weather alerts Monday.
The same storm system caused record-setting rainfall and deadly flooding in drought-stricken California over the weekend. And another wave of intense rainfall this week could exacerbate dangerous flooding.
In the Plains and Midwest, rapid snowfall of 1 to 2 inches per hour is forecast from the Nebraska panhandle through southwest Minnesota – leaving a total of more than 12 inches of snow by late Tuesday. The onslaught of snow could be accompanied by thunder.
“These intense rates combined with gusty winds will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow, resulting in snow-covered roads, reduced visibility and difficult travel,” the Weather Prediction Center said.
Significant ice accumulation could lead to power outages and treacherous travel conditions.
Freezing rain could cause more than a quarter-inch of ice to stack up from northeastern Nebraska to northwestern Iowa to southern Minnesota late Monday into Tuesday.
“Travel will become hazardous, if not impossible, later this evening (into) Tuesday in many areas,” the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls said Monday.
Northern California communities submerged in mammoth flooding over the weekend could get deluged by even more rainfall later this week.
It’s not clear how much this storm will make a dent in drought conditions that have gripped California, which started 2022 with the driest beginning of the year on record and ended with flooded roads and swelling rivers.
“Early precipitation forecasts for the midweek storm looks to be around 2 to 3 inches possible in the Central Valley with 3 to 6 inches or more of liquid precipitation in the foothills and mountains,” the weather service office in Sacramento said.
An atmospheric river – a long, narrow region in the atmosphere which can carry moisture thousands of miles – fueled a parade of storms over the weekend, which led to record-setting rainfall and water rescues.
At least two people died, including one found inside a submerged vehicle in Sacramento County and a 72-year-old man struck by a falling tree at a Santa Cruz park, officials said.
Now, another atmospheric river could bring heavy rain and more flooding Wednesday to Northern and central California, including the Bay Area.
This next storm “looks like it will cause dangerous situations,” the National Weather Service in San Francisco said.
Officials urged residents to avoid driving in standing water.
Flooding from the Cosumnes River forced the closure of Highway 99 south of Elk Grove in Sacramento County, the California Department of Transportation tweeted Sunday. “SR 99 is one of the state’s heavily traveled, and commercially important, corridors,” its website said.
Over the past few days, “dozens upon dozens” of people had been rescued, Cosumnes Fire Department Capt. Chris Schamber told CNN affiliate KCRA. Aerial footage from the station showed cars submerged in floodwater up to their door handles.
Heavy snow to bombard millions in Northeast this weekend as South recovers from deadly tornadoes 5.5
CNN
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The monstrous storm that walloped much of the US this week has now brought nor’easter conditions as it moves across New York and New England ahead of the weekend.
After many in the South were left grappling with power outages and smashed homes and businesses from a string of tornadoes earlier this week, officials and forecasters across several Northeastern states are warning of heavy snow that could pile up to a foot Friday.
In response to the massive storm system, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents of the hazardous road conditions the storm is threatening to bring as millions across in the Northeast are under winter weather alerts Friday.
“We urge everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow,” Hochul said in a Thursday statement. “Work from home if possible, stay off the roads, and make sure you and your loved ones remain vigilant.”
In neighboring Pennsylvania, state transportation officials implored drivers to avoid unnecessary travel due to the low visibility caused by wind and heavy snow.
“Very heavy snowfall rates reaching 1 to 2 inches/hour will be likely across areas of interior New York and central New England,” the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service said Thursday. “Dangerous travel conditions and scattered power outages are expected.”
Parts of eastern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine can also see between 18 and 24 inches of snow accumulate in local areas, according to the weather service. Already, parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York have seen several inches of snow, with some areas catching up to six inches.
The unrelenting storm system has cut a dangerous cross-country path since the beginning of week, bringing varying combinations of severe weather to different parts of the US.
Tornadoes in the South killed three people in Louisiana while also flattening many homes and other structures. Blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest brought piles of snow and fierce winds that tore down power lines, leaving tens of thousands in the dark in freezing temperatures the week before Christmas.
States from the Rockies to the Upper Midwest – including Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin – saw more than a foot of snow this week.
Plus, dozens of tornadoes were reported across Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma since Tuesday. The deadly storms claimed the lives of three people in Louisiana.
And in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, the storm brought a quarter inch of ice was reported Thursday morning to the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, and about a tenth of an inch had built up in parts of Virginia.
More than 5 million people across portions of Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire are under winter storm warnings Friday.
Heavy wet snow is expected to bombard the region, making travel miserable this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
“For the interior Northeast, precipitation tonight and Friday will fall as snow and become heavy at times,” the weather service said.
Snow totals between 6 and 12 inches are forecast from central Pennsylvania north into interior Upstate New York, with up to 2 feet at areas with higher elevations, through Saturday.
Plus, major cities, including New York and Boston, can expect 1 to 2 inches of heavy rain from the nor’easter into the weekend before the storm system pulls away from the region Sunday,
Some communities along the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware are under flood alerts, though severe flooding is not expected.
The storm inflicted a slew of tornadoes in the South and blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest, leaving about 100,000 homes and businesses in the dark across Minnesota, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Virginia as well as Pennsylvania of early Friday, according to Poweroutage.us.
Powerful winds whirled by blizzard conditions knocked down power lines in the Upper Midwest as temperatures in some areas plummeted to near or below freezing, leaving thousands without proper heating.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, Yoshiko A. Smith, 30, and her 8-year-old son, Nikolus Little, were killed Tuesday when a tornado struck Caddo Parish and destroyed their home, local officials said.
The family’s bodies were found far from where their house once stood, officials said. Autopsies have been ordered for both, the county coronor said.
A 56-year-old woman died after a tornado hit her home in St. Charles Parish, the Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday.
Another tornado in northern Louisiana traveled through the town of Farmerville was rated an EF-3, with 140 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service. At least 20 people were injured, and the tornado demolished parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park, Farmerville Police Detective Cade Nolan said.
The tornado, which moved through Union Parish Tuesday evening, was 500 yards wide at its largest point and was on the ground for more than 9 miles.
Tornadoes leave a trail of destruction in Louisiana and the Southeast, killing at least 3, collapsing homes, knocking out power
CNN
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A severe weather system cutting through the South has left a trail of destruction in Louisiana, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others as violent tornadoes touched down, collapsing homes, turning debris into projectiles and knocking out power.
The deaths attributed to storm-related events include a 56-year-old woman who died after a tornado hit her home in the Killona area in St. Charles Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
Additionally, a boy and his mother were found dead after a tornado destroyed their home Tuesday in the northwestern Louisiana community of Keithville, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said. The mother and son’s bodies were found hours apart, far from where their house once stood, officials said.
Multiple communities throughout Louisiana reported destruction, with roofs ripped off, homes splintered, debris littering roadways and cars flipper over. As ferocious winds downed power lines, more than 50,000 customers were left without power in across Louisiana and Mississippi Wednesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us. That number was down to less than 15,000 early Thursday.
There were at least 49 tornado reports across Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama and Florida Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. More tornado reports are likely to come in as surveyors continue to check for damage.
And the threat isn’t over yet. More than 15 million people could see severe weather Thursday in parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as the severe weather shifts the east, according to CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford.
More than 1.5 million people were under tornado watches in southeastern Alabama, northern Florida and southern Georgia until 9 a.m. Thursday. Strong tornadoes are still likely as well as quarter sized hail and powerful wind gusts up to 70 mph.
The massive storm that brought the destruction to Louisiana and across the Southeast is part of a massive system that has also brought blizzard conditions in northern parts of the central US.
US weather forecast: A massive, deadly storm that spawned tornadoes is heading east, bringing fierce snow and dangerous travel conditions
CNN
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The deadly storm system that destroyed homes in the South is heading east, threatening more tornadoes, freezing rain, treacherous travel and power outages.
At least two people were killed in Louisiana as the system’s vicious winds tore through communities from Oklahoma to Texas to Mississippi.
Now on the cold side of this massive, multifaceted storm, about 40 million people from Utah, Idaho and Montana all the way to New England are under winter weather alerts Wednesday. In at least four states, about half million people in are under blizzard warnings until Thursday morning.
A massive storm is producing raging blizzards in the north and damaging tornadoes in the South, where a child was killed and homes flattened
CNN
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A massive cross-country storm is producing damaging tornadoes in the South, where a child has died, and punishing blizzard conditions in Colorado and the Plains that have resulted in shuttered interstates and snarled travel.
The storm system moving east across the nation – currently lingering over the central US – is fueling severe weather felt throughout the country, with at least five confirmed tornadoes in Texas and multiple others reported. The storms left a path of destruction across Oklahoma and the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday, flattening homes and injuring at least seven people.
In Louisiana, a child who was missing after a tornado touched down in Keithville Tuesday was found dead, and a search for the young boy’s mother is ongoing, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
“A young boy was found deceased in a wooded area of Pecan Farms where his home was destroyed,” the sheriff’s office said.
About 100 miles away in the small Union Parish town of Farmerville, Louisiana, at least 20 people were injured after a tornado struck Tuesday night, according to Farmerville Police Detective Cade Nolan.
“It’s the worst damage I’ve seen in 17 years,” Nolan told CNN, describing seeing mobile homes lifted from their axles and frames and in some cases carried a quarter of a mile away.
First responders were still searching for people in the early morning hours Wednesday, Nolan said, adding several people were injured while traveling in cars.
Meanwhile, nearly 10 million people – largely in the north-central US – are under winter weather warnings or advisories, with blowing snow and power outages a key concern. Another 6 million people across the northeast will be under winter storm watches Wednesday.
As the storm continues its trek east, here’s what different regions can expect:
- Tornadoes and damaging winds are possible Wednesday over parts of southern Louisiana, southern and central Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.
- There is an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms, and a risk of excessive rainfall over the Lower Mississippi Valley and Central Gulf Coast through Thursday.
- Heavy snow, rain and freezing rain are expected over the Upper Midwest Wednesday
- Freezing rain and sleet are expected to continue across the Plains and then shift into the Upper Midwest through Wednesday, making travel dangerous.