Powerful storm threatens South with flooding, tornadoes
Parts of the South were hit with severe weather including threats of high winds, flooding and tornadoes, with more bad weather expected.
Most of the eastern U.S. faces threats of severe weather Thursday from a deadly storm system that inflicted immense damage across the Gulf Coast, spinning up multiple tornadoes, causing flash-floods and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.
As the low pressure system heads north, slowly moving from the Mid-South to the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region, the “system will progressively engulf the entire eastern U.S. today with widespread rainfall,” according to the National Weather Service. Some of the most intense storms will spread from southern Georgia and a large portion of the Florida Peninsula, where tornado advisories were active, to the mid-Atlantic region.
Severe weather forecasts delayed the first round of the prestigious Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, as meteorologists and tournament officials warned of thunderstorms and strong wind gusts. Further north, the weather prediction center said flash flooding may occur in several metro areas including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
As of Thursday morning, more than 155,000 utility customers were without power from Louisiana to North Carolina, according to a USA TODAY database. Airports spanning much of the eastern U.S. including those in states such as Florida, New York and Massachusetts were reporting significant delays. The most travel holdups occurred in Orlando, where over 140 flights were delayed and a dozen were canceled, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
Tornadoes and damaging winds are among forecasters’ top concerns for the afternoon after at least three twisters were confirmed in southern Louisiana on Wednesday. Wind gusts pose the greatest threat in the central Appalachians and parts of the southeast, with wind advisories in place from eastern Texas to the Carolinas.
By Friday, gusty winds and widespread showers will continue lashing the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic while excessive rainfall will occur in parts of of northern New Hampshire and western Maine, the weather service said.
Tornadoes, flooding cause widespread damage across Gulf Coast
The system unleashed a barrage of severe weather conditions across the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, leading to mass power outages, travel disruptions, widespread damage and flooding in New Orleans.
Ten inches of rainfall was recorded in southeastern Texas and Louisiana, the weather service said. In Mississippi, more than 8 inches fell in the central city of Europa. Parts of Georgia, Florida and Alabama had between 3-5 inches of rainfall.
In Pensacola, Florida, strong winds uprooted a massive tree and toppled it onto Robert Havens’ mobile home. Just before the tree crushed the center of the trailer, Havens was able to lead his roommate, Robert Johnson, into the bathroom where they both sheltered.
“I heard like a ‘snap’ or ‘crack’ or something and I jumped up, and I walked over and I grabbed him by the arm and I said, ‘Get back to here!’ So, we ran straight back to the bathroom … and right when we got in there, that’s when the tree fell,” Havens told the Pensacola News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. “We just thought the whole thing is going to fall in on us, but thank God it didn’t.”
Two confirmed tornadoes ripped through Slidell, a town 30 miles northeast of New Orleans, and the southwestern city of Lake Charles, where the twister had top wind speeds of 115 mph. Another tornado was confirmed in Saint Francisville, a town about 31 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, according to the weather service survey crews. Damage in Saint Francisville and Slidell were consistent with at least an EF-1 tornado, which can unleash winds of 86-110 mph, the weather service said.
One person died in in Mississippi due to the storms, according to state’s emergency management agency. The 64-year-old woman’s oxygen machine stopped working after losing power in Scott County, Weather.com reported.
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Contributing: Doyle Rice and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY; Brittany Misencik, Edward Bunch III, Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal
Elaine Hadley is a dedicated journalist covering the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. news. With a keen interest in politics and a commitment to uncovering the truth, she provides insightful commentary and in-depth analysis on domestic issues. When not reporting, Elaine enjoys exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes of the United States.
