3 Dead, 20 Injured as Tornado Coursed Through Louisiana and Southeast US, Power Outage Continues for 15,000 Homes

A violent tornado that tore through Louisiana and the Southeast of the US left at least 3 people dead and 20 injured. The power outage is still affecting 15,000 homes.

At least three people have died and numerous others have been injured as a result of a severe weather system ripping through the South, which also caused power outages, collapsed homes, and projectiles made of debris.

3 Deaths, Power Outage for 15,000 Homes

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, one of the fatalities linked to storm-related incidents involved a 56-year-old woman who passed away after a tornado struck her home in the Killona neighborhood of St. Charles Parish.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office added that a boy and his mother were discovered dead after their home in Keithville, Louisiana's northwest, was destroyed by a tornado on Tuesday. Officials reported that the mother and son's bodies were discovered hours apart, far from the location of their former home.

Several communities across Louisiana reported devastation, with homes splintered, cars flipping over, and roofs ripped off. According to PowerOutage.us, the fierce winds that hit Louisiana and Mississippi Wednesday night caused more than 50,000 customers to lose power. Early on Thursday, that number was lower, at less than 15,000.

49 Tornado Reports, 15 Million People

According to the Storm Prediction Center, at least 49 tornado reports were made in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, and Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday. As surveyors continue to look for damage, more reports of tornadoes are likely to be received.

Robert Shackelford, a meteorologist for CNN, said that as the severe weather moves east, it will affect parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

Up until 9 AM on Thursday, well over 1.5 million people in southern Georgia, northern Florida, and southeast Alabama were under tornado watches. Strong tornadoes, quarter-sized hail, and strong wind gusts reaching 70 mph are still possible.

Destructive Storm, Tornado Damage, 20 Injured

The powerful storm that wreaked havoc in Louisiana and the Southeast is a component of a larger system that brought blizzard conditions to the northern regions of the central US.

Although the storms are predicted to weaken a little on Thursday, severe weather is still a possibility for the majority of Florida, coastal Georgia, and the coastal Carolinas. According to Shackelford, damaging winds, large hail, and sporadic tornadoes could hit cities like Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Savannah, and Charleston.

In Louisiana, where there has been extensive damage to numerous communities, Governor John Bel Edwards has proclaimed a state of emergency.

Gretna, which is located across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, was hit by a tornado that may have caused damage to up to 5,000 buildings, according to mayor Belinda Constant.

Further north, a tornado that struck Tuesday night in the small Union Parish town of Farmerville caused at least 20 injuries as it tore apart portions of an apartment building and a mobile home park, according to Farmerville police Detective Cade Nolan.

She told CNN affiliate KNOE-TV that as a train approached outside, Patsy Andrews heard it while she and her children were inside their Farmerville home.

When she went to investigate, her son warned her not to open the door, but it was already too late.

She claimed that as glass shattered all around them and rain leaked through the roof, she and her daughter fell to the ground and scurried into a hallway. They ultimately found refuge in their bathroom, CNN reports.