This Tuesday night A large tornado hit the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. while another major storm system continued its destructive path to the south, killing one person in Texas and injuring more than two dozen.
The tornado reportedly started in a suburb of New Orleans and then moved east across the Mississippi River toward the lower Ninth Ward and parts of St. Bernard Parish before moving northeast. The National Weather Service retweeted a video of the tornado in eastern New Orleans and warned residents to seek shelter.
Search and rescue teams scoured homes looking for people and responded to at least two calls from people who said they were trapped at home in their bathrooms, according to CNN.
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Tornadoes hit the southern United States
Elsewhere, strong winds uprooted trees, including in Ridgeland, Mississippi, after a possible tornado tore through Tuesday afternoon. Forecasters issued multiple tornado warnings for the state, and the watches spread to Alabama as the storm line moved east. MMore than 90,000 homes and businesses were without power from Texas to Mississippi.
Many schools closed early or canceled activities after school Tuesday in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi to allow students to return home. Additionally, shelters were opened for residents who need a place to stay while the storms pass.
The storms were expected to intensify throughout the day as temperatures warmed, increasing the threat of tornadoes, hail and high winds. LForecasters forecast intense tornadoes and damaging winds, some at hurricane force with speeds of 75 mph or more, across much of Mississippi, southern and eastern Louisiana and western Alabama.