Tornado Outbreak Kills 3 in the South; Emergencies Declared in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida

Large tornadoes hammered the South on Tuesday, reducing homes to rubble as emergency crews rushed to pluck residents trapped by the destructive storms.

Three people have died as a dangerous, multi-day round of severe weather swept through the South. In Louisiana, at least two people were killed at a trailer park in Convent, according to the Associated Press, where dozens of trailers were destroyed by a confirmed EF3 tornado with wind speeds of at least 150 mph. The sheriff's office told WRBZ-TV the trailer park had around 160 homes and about 300 residents. In total, 31 people were hospitalized from the trailer park, and seven were in critical condition, officials told the AP.

"We never had anything like this; we never had this many people injured in one event, and so much destruction in one event," St. James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin told WVUE News. "We won't stop searching until we're satisfied we've searched every pile."

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Lamar County, Mississippi, officials confirmed to WDAM-TV that there was one fatality near the town of Purvis. Vann Byrd of the Lamar County Emergency Management Agency says the death occurred in a mobile home west of Purvis. The victim was identified as 73-year-old Harris Dale Purvis. This tornado was rated EF2 by a survey crew from the National Weather Service.

As of Wednesday afternoon, survey teams from the NWS have confirmed 10 tornadoes in this outbreak, with several additional surveys ongoing.

These storms are expected to push east Wednesday, and additional tornadoes are possible. Here's a look at how other areas were affected by the severe weather event.

Virginia

Dangerous storms threatened the Commonwealth on Wednesday, and a possible tornado forced the closure of Route 460 in Sussex County. According to the NWS, this incident occurred near Waverly.

Shortly after the storm passed, there were reports of damage nearby. Several people were also reported missing, and officials were searching areas near their mobile home, according to local reports.

North Carolina

Severe storms left damage in the Tar Heel State Wednesday afternoon. In Wayne County, a mobile home was destroyed by strong winds or possibly a tornado near Indian Springs, according to an NWS storm report.

Near Charlotte, there were several reports of downed trees early Wednesday afternoon, the NWS also said.

Louisiana

Four tornadoes have been confirmed so far in Louisiana:

• EF2: St. James Parish
• EF0: St. Tammany Parish, near Lacombe
• EF0: St. Helena Parish, near Amite
• EF0: Jefferson Parish

Governor John Bel Edwards issued a state of emergency for seven different parishes across the state, including St. Johns, Assumption and Washington following the destructive storms.

“I ask all Louisianans to pray for the victims of the terrible storms that touched down in Louisiana today and especially at the Sugar Hill RV Park in Convent,” said Governor Edwards. "We will do all that we can to help restore the families, businesses and communities destroyed by this tragedy.” 

Several reported tornadoes left damage in southeastern Louisiana late Tuesday morning, and the threat continued into the afternoon in that area. Façades of buildings were peeled back by the strong winds, and roofs were tossed into nearby parking lots or fields in the Baton Rouge area.

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Major damage occurred late Tuesday morning in Prairieville, southeast of Baton Rouge, where a Gold's Gym and several other buildings nearby were heavily damaged around the time a tornado was reported in the area. Just 18 miles northeast, in Livingston, several homes had their roofs completely torn off. 

A radar confirmed tornado touched down near Paincourtville in Assumption Parish and tracked eastward through parts of Belle Rose, Donaldsonville, Welcome and Convent. 

The Assumption Parish Sheriff reported severe damage to businesses in Paincourtville and damage to a home in Belle River. Photos on Twitter showed the Paincourtville water tower destroyed, semi trucks at a Paincourtville business tipped over, and houses in both Paincourtville and Bell Rose torn apart. 

Just after 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, a possible tornado was reported near Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner. Shortly after, the National Weather Service reported damage to several structures nearby. 

There were reports of cars damaged at a parking lot near the airport. High winds sheared the brick and mortar from the rear wall of the New Mount Bethel Baptist Church. Ronald Myers, who lives across the street, believes it was a tornado.

"My wife came over to turn the [church] alarm off and she came back home and said, 'Baby, the wall behind the church has done fell down.'"

"I weigh 242 pounds. If it could move me, it was moving," he said.

A possible tornado touched down between Franklin and Baldwin in St. Mary Parish, damaging several homes and downing power lines, according to KATC. No injuries were reported.

Other suspected tornadoes were reported north of Lake Pontchartrain and west of the city in St. Charles and Ascension parishes.

Florida

For the second time in as many weeks, a large tornado, given a preliminary rating of at least EF2, left major damage Tuesday night in Escambia County, located in the far western portion of the Florida Panhandle. Gov. Rick Scott, who traveled to Pensacola to view the damage and declared a state of emergency for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, said the twister heavily damaged more than 70 homes and 24 apartments in Escambia County.

The National Weather Service confirmed a twister that crossed Interstate 10, flipping several cars and a tractor trailer on the Escambia Bay Bridge, leaving the highway closed from mile marker 17 to mile marker 43. 

“I heard a noise and it just came through. It’s way destroyed,” Clarence Wells Jr., a resident at The Moorings apartment complex, told the Pensacola News Journal. “I was right by the door. We were in the living room and boom. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

(PHOTOS: Tornadoes Leave Damage Across the South)

At least six injuries were reported at the complex, but none of those were believed to be major, officials said. The Escambia County Fire and Rescue also reported a "catastrophic" gas leak. On-scene crews aided in search and rescue duties for any who may be entrapped by debris.

Four people were taken to the hospital with injuries from Grand Baroque Apartments on Scenic Highway, according to a FOX 10 report.

There have been no fatalities reported from this tornado.

Mississippi

Two radar-confirmed tornadoes were spotted in Mississippi early Tuesday evening, one in southern Marion County and the other near Bogalusa in Pearl River County. According to the SPC, as many as five tornadoes were reported Tuesday in southern parts of the state.

Gov. Phil Bryant issued a state of emergency for all areas of the state that may be affected by severe weather, ahead of Tuesday's storms, Mississippi News Now reported.

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The NWS said a tornado was in progress Tuesday in Greene County, which was rated EF1. Another tornado was confirmed in Yazoo County, rated EF0 following a damage survey.

Many schools closed early on Tuesday to allow students to gets home early before the storms arrived.

Alabama

Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency early Tuesday evening as the storm systems approached Alabama. 

At least 8,000 customers were without power across the state Wednesday morning due to the severe storms, the AP reported.

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The SPC reported as many as five tornadoes in Alabama on Tuesday, but in most of those areas, minor damage was left behind by the storms. An EF1 tornado was confirmed in Marion County by a survey crew.

In the western Alabama county of Pickens, a storm damaged a home near Reform and knocked down trees, but there were no injuries, emergency management director Ken Gibson told the AP.

"The main thing was nobody was injured and there were not houses completely destroyed," Henry County Sheriff William Maddox told the Dothan Eagle, via the AP. "We kind of dodged a bullet."

Texas

Classes were canceled Tuesday in two southern Texas school districts after power outages and damage made it dangerous for students to attend. On Facebook, the Brackett Independent School District said damage to school buildings and vehicles from Tuesday morning's storms forced officials to call off school, while power outages canceled classes for the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District. About 10,000 customers in Del Rio were without power Tuesday morning, AEP Texas reported.

A Houston Independent School District bus driver suffered minor injuries when a school bus flipped onto its side in rainy conditions, according to the AP. There were no students aboard the bus when the accident occurred along Highway 288 at about dawn Tuesday morning, Houston ISD spokesperson Lila Hollin told the AP.

The NWS confirmed an EF0 tornado was in progress early Tuesday morning in Wharton County, east-southeast of Boiling-lago.