1 dead, considerable damage in the parish of Saint-Bernard
Search and rescue teams worked until Wednesday morning in the New Orleans area after a large tornado hit parts of the city and surrounding suburbs, killing at least one person and destroying homes, officials said.
The tornado tore through the city’s lower 9th arrondissement and St. Bernard Parish, which borders it to the southeast. St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann told a Tuesday night news conference that one person was confirmed dead from the tornado and several others were injured.
“We have extensive damage,” added St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis.
Photos and video from Tuesday night showed the massive tornado sweeping through the city.
“Large tornado on the ground in New Orleans! Take shelter now!” the National Weather Service office in New Orleans tweeted around 7:30 p.m.
The tornado spawned a larger storm system that hit the south earlier this week and continues to move east. At least one other death was reported in the storms and extensive damage occurred in Texas and Oklahoma. Severe weather is expected in the southeast on Wednesday.
TORNADO HITS NEW ORLEANS:1 death reported out of town, search and rescue teams deployed
Tornado tears through New Orleans suburb of St. Bernard Parish
Parts of St. Bernard Parish appeared to bear the brunt of the storm’s effects. The New Orleans Fire Department said it was assisting search and rescue operations there.
Pohlmann said Tuesday evening that initial rescue efforts would continue into the early morning.
Officials did not provide any immediate details on the single death in St. Bernard Parish.
Stacey Mancuso said she huddled in the utility room of her home in Arabi with her husband, two children and dogs as part of their roof was blown away.
“We are alive. That’s what I can say at this point. We still have four walls and part of a roof. I consider myself lucky,” Mancuso said.
Mancuso said it was the third time they had suffered significant weather damage. The region also suffered significant damage during hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Ida last summer.
Michelle Malasovich, who also lives in Arabi, said she was texting her family when “all of a sudden the lights started flashing”. Her husband was on the porch and saw the tornado coming.
“Our neighbor’s house is in the middle of the street right now,” Malasovich said.
In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted that no deaths or significant damage had been reported. However, 8,000 customers lost their power, she said. Power appeared to be back on for most customers Wednesday morning, although more than 2,000 customers in St. Bernard Parish were without power, according to online tracker PowerOutage.US.
State authorities were assisting local departments in their search and damage assessment efforts, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards tweeted. “My prayers are with you in Southeast Louisiana tonight. Be safe,” he added.
The storms headed east, caused damage in the south
After passing through the New Orleans area, the storms continued eastward and caused damage in parts of Alabama.
The National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama, tweeted On Tuesday evening, a confirmed tornado touched down in the town of Summerdale and was tracking towards Robertsdale. Further north in Toxey, the roofs of several homes were damaged by the storms, the Weather Service noted.
Severe thunderstorms are expected to cross the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, bringing damaging winds and the possibility of tornadoes, the Tallahassee Weather Service office noted.
Storms were also expected to move through Georgia and the Carolinas on Wednesday, according to weather services offices.
Earlier this week, tornadoes touched down in parts of Texas and Oklahoma within the storm system and multiple tornadoes were reported along the Interstate 35 corridor.
The storms destroyed homes and businesses and downed power lines. In Sherwood Shores, Texas, one person was killed in a tornado and several others injured.
In Jacksboro, Texas, the storm ripped off the wall and roof of Jacksboro High School and damaged 60 to 80 homes, WFAA-TV reported.
More than 16,000 electric customers were still without power Wednesday morning, according to PowerOutage.US.
Contributors: Christine Fernando and Celina Tebor, USA TODAY; Roberto Villalpando, Claire Osborn and Tony Plohetski, American statesman from Austin; The Associated Press
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