At least one person was killed after a powerful storm system moved east through Louisiana and Alabama on Tuesday, bringing dangerous tornadoes and powerful winds to New Orleans. Just a day earlier, one person was killed and several were injured when a tornado swept through North Texas, officials said.
There was at least one confirmed death in Arabi, Louisiana, on Tuesday, St. Bernard Parish President Guy McGinnis said.
The National Weather Service confirmed a large tornado was on the ground in New Orleans around 7:30 p.m. local time Tuesday night. The city’s tornado warnings expired 20 minutes later, as the storm system moved east towards the Louisiana-Mississippi border, triggering several tornado warnings there.
As of 10 p.m. local time, no deaths had been reported in Orleans Parish, according to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
Portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are under tornado watches until 11 p.m. local time Tuesday, the NWS said.
As of Tuesday night, nearly 20,000 people were without power in Louisiana, and 12,000 were in the dark in Mississippi, according to PowerOutage.us.
“If you are in an area affected by tonight’s tornadoes and are in a safe place, stay put and listen to directions from local officials,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards tweeted. “Now is not the time for sightseeing.”
Meanwhile, in Texas, where the NWS confirmed several tornadoes had earlier touched down in the areas of Dallas and Fort Worth and two unconfirmed tornadoes caused damage in the Lake Texoma area, more than 26,000 residents were without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Several areas in the state reported damage. Images shared with CBS Dallas-Fort Worth showed damage to the wall and roof from parts of Jacksboro High School, especially its gym, and parts of Jacksboro Elementary School. Witnesses also said the storm struck the local animal shelter. Jacksboro is located about 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
As many as 80 homes were damaged, and debris from homes, trees and power lines was scattered across a path at least a third of a mile wide, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported. Some people told the station the storm hit so fast, they had just minutes to find somewhere to shelter.
Also Tuesday, Grayson County Office of Emergency Management Director Sarah Somers said a 73-year-old woman died when a tornado touched down in the community of Sherwood Shores on Monday night. Ten other storm-related injuries have been reported in the county about 90 miles north of Dallas and near the state’s border with Oklahoma.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said around 72 people stayed in shelters in Houston County overnight Monday, and that officials are unable to estimate when they will be able to return home. “Some may have lost their homes altogether,” he said.
Thirty miles northeast of Jacksboro, near Bowie, the damage was widespread. Four people suffered minor injuries, said emergency manager Kelly McNabb.
“The reality is that most of these people are still in shock,” Abbott said. “And it’s going to take a few hours if not a few days for people to come to a reckoning about what exactly is happening, what they need to grapple with and what they need to do in order to take next steps forward.”
The governor issued a severe weather disaster declaration in 16 Texas counties in response to the storms for additional resources.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Mississippi State University reported storm damage and asked people to stay out of the area.
Louisiana’s federal and state authorities reminded thousands of hurricane survivors living in government-provided mobile homes and recreational vehicle trailers to have an evacuation plan because the structures might not withstand the expected weather. More than 8,000 households live in such temporary quarters, officials said.
The National Weather Service urges residents within the severe weather’s path to have multiple ways to receive weather warnings, know where they’d shelter if need be and to immediately take shelter should a warning be issued for their area.
