Winter storms continue to batter U.S.
Wind in South, snow in Midwest, Northeast
DES MOINES, Iowa — A sprawling storm hit the South with tornado warnings and high winds that blew roofs off homes, flipped over campers and tossed about furniture in Florida on Tuesday. Another storm brought cities across the Midwest to a standstill with more than half a foot of snow, stranding people on highways as it headed to the Northeast.
At least three deaths in the South were attributed to the storm, where 55 mph winds and hail moved through the Florida Panhandle and into parts of Alabama and Georgia by sunrise Tuesday, along with at least several reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service said.
A wind gust of 106 mph was recorded before dawn near the coast in Walton County, Florida.
Near Cottonwood, Alabama, a small city near the Georgia and Florida borders, 81-year-old Charlotte Paschal was killed when her mobile home was tossed from its foundation, the Houston County coroner said. A suspected tornado had touched down in the area.
Police in Clayton County, south of Atlanta, say a man died during heavy rain when a tree fell on his car on a state highway in Jonesboro.
Storm-related injuries were reported in Florida, but no deaths. A section of Panama City Beach, Florida, showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about and a house that appeared tilted on side, leaning on another home.
In Panama City, about 10 miles away, police early Tuesday asked residents to stay indoors and off the roads “unless absolutely necessary” as officers checked on damage from the storms, including downed power lines and trees.
The city is in Bay County, where there had been multiple reports of tornadoes on the ground, Sheriff Tommy Ford said in a brief Facebook Live post.
“We’ve rescued people out of structures,” he said.
The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee is planning to send out three tornado survey teams on Wednesday and two more on Thursday. The three teams on Wednesday will assess suspected tornado damage in Walton, Bay and Jackson counties in Florida. The two teams on Thursday will assess damage in Houston County, Alabama and Calhoun County Georgia.
The department urged people to stay home, posting photos of a damaged apartment complex and marina.
The Walton County sheriff ’s department in the Florida Panhandle posted photos of power lines draped across a road, damage to a gas station and large pieces of building materials littering the area.
About 70 miles northeast, in Jackson County, Florida, photos showing damage to a campground and RV park in Marianna were posted.