The South is being hit by severe weather and tornadoes after a similar storm destroys homes in Texas
Five people were injured in a trailer in Beasley after a tornado was reported to hit the area, according to Jacqueline Preston of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
That’s after more than a dozen tornadoes were reported across Texas on Monday. Local officials say a 73-year-old Grayson County woman died after her home was destroyed, as did dozens of other homes in the state.
According to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward, tornado watches were in effect Tuesday afternoon for eastern Louisiana, most of Mississippi and western Alabama, with the area having a significant tornado threat early in the day. p.m., according to CNN meteorologist. Several tornado warnings have been issued, meaning a tornado has been detected.
CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam reported on Tuesday morning. “It’s almost like it’s preparing for an afternoon of tornadoes. It’s time to prepare your inclement weather in case a major storm hits.”
The Hurricane Forecast Center said 75 mph gusts, heavy hail and “several tornadoes with a few intense tornadoes are possible,” the Hurricane Forecast Center said. The tornado warning is in effect until 7 p.m. CT.
The center says nighttime tornadoes are twice as deadly as daytime tornadoes.
They are “especially dangerous not only because sleeping people can be caught off guard, but because an oncoming tornado can be enveloped in darkness, making it impossible for a sane person to actually see it.” , Van Dam said.
According to meteorologist Hannah Lisney of the National Weather Service there, it’s a fact that very few residents have basements in the Baton Rouge area.
“The only protection we have is to go inside our house and hope we’re not directly affected by a tornado,” Lisney said.
She said Houma pre-opened hurricane shelters because of the number of modular homes in the area and the damage left over from last year’s Hurricane Ida.
Major cities in the storm’s path include Baton Rouge and New Orleans; Jackson and Gulfport in Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; and Memphis.
In addition to tornado precautions, about 10 million people from Louisiana to Arkansas and Tennessee are being monitored for flooding, Ward said.
It’s important that people don’t forget about hazards other than tornadoes, says Lisney, including straight winds, heavy hail and flooding.
“Everything is on the table,” she said.
The system will weaken as it continues to move eastward on Wednesday, bringing mild severe weather risks to areas including Atlanta and Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.
20 tornado reports made in Texas and Oklahoma
Dozens of families were left homeless after a similar storm hit Texas on Monday. At least 20 tornadoes have been reported across Texas and Oklahoma, the National Weather Service said.
In Jack County – northwest of the Fort Worth area – 60 to 80 homes were destroyed, local officials said. The National Weather Service identified the storm as EF-3, with winds between 140 and 150 mph.
Jack County Judge Keith Umphress told reporters: “Many of our homes have been completely destroyed and families have had to leave their homes.
Officials said a shelter has been set up for those who have lost their homes.
It was a miracle that more people were unharmed – especially at Jacksboro Elementary School, which was sheltering a large number of students when a storm severely damaged the gym, Jeremy Jennings, “ Fire Chief Jacksboro said.
Jacksboro Sheriff Scott Haynes said the children were about to be released on the day officials decided to let everyone back inside.
The gym at Jacksboro High School was also badly damaged and the facilities would be unusable “for a while,” Jennings said.
Burnett said elementary school students were “emotional” to leave school and witness the damage caused by the storm.
Nine people in Jack County were hospitalized with minor injuries, said Sheriff Jason Jennings of the county’s Rural Fire Department.
“When you can walk away and say it, so far we’ve seen no major injuries and no deaths, given the devastation we’re seeing in the community and around. our county – the hand of God has worked to maintain protection,” said Jack County Office of Emergency Management Director Frank Hefner.
Jacksboro’s fire chief had never experienced such devastation in his community, he said.
“I’ve been in the emergency services for 24 years here, I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude here,” said Jeremy Jennings. “There’s nothing like this, not even anywhere else in this county.”
Further south, in the Austin area, state agencies such as the Texas Department of Emergency Management and the Texas Department of Public Safety are responding to storm damage in Williamson and B Carpet counties, said Governor Gregg Abbott. said.
A tornado was reported to have moved over Round Rock in Williamson County around 6 p.m. Monday, authorities said.
Abbott said an emergency declaration was in effect in Williamson County due to recent fires and would also apply to storm damage.
“As we speak right now, I want everyone across the state going through this to know that the state of Texas is with you every step of the way,” the governor said.
While many homes, businesses and city-owned buildings suffered significant damage in the Round Rock area, only minor injuries have been reported, said Sheriff Allen Banks. .
Emergency crews are still assessing damage in the city about 15 miles north of Austin.
A necessary heavy rain
The storm also brought 1 to 2 inches of widespread rainfall, with some areas reaching up to 6 inches, Shackelford said.
CNN’s Derek Van Dam reports from Baton Rouge. Claudia Dominguez, Rebekah Riess, Monica Garrett, Dave Hennen, Taylor Romine, Joe Sutton, Susannah Cullinane and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
