Louisiana: Apparent twister destroys buildings
Powerful storms smashed buildings, splintered trees and downed power lines Monday around the Deep South, leaving one person dead as the dangerous mix of thunderstorms and suspected tornadoes raked the region in the week ahead of Christmas.
Forecasters issued multiple tornado watches and warnings and some cities opened shelters as a cold front collided with warmer air over northern Gulf Coast states. The National Weather Service said the severe weather threat could last into the early hours Tuesday.
The death Monday was attributed to an apparent tornado that struck a small residential area in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, but details were not immediately available, said Chief Deputy Calvin Turner. He said authorities feared others could be hurt in the area since crews were still trying to reach hard-hit areas where downed trees and power lines blocked roads.
“We’ve got damage at lots of places. We’ve got a church where the fellowship hall is torn all to pieces. Some homes are hit. Right now we’re having trouble just getting to places because of trees that are down,” Turner said.
In nearby Alexandria, Louisiana, about 200 miles northwest of New Orleans, the storm left roads impassable and destroyed a car lot, said Capt. Phillip Jordan of the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Children in a church school were moved to the church before the tornado ripped off the school’s roof, said Cpl. Wade Bourgeois, spokesman for the Alexandria Police Department.
Among the hardest-hit buildings was the Johnny Downs Sports Complex, which he said may have suffered “total damage.”