Two people died on Monday night in Louisiana in the wake of deadly tornadoes sweeping the US south.
As severe weather continues to batter the US, states from Texas to Florida are seeing destruction and disruption of daily life, including power outages, road closures and flight delays.
In Louisiana’s capital city, Baton Rouge, police said a woman was killed after a tree fell onto her mobile home. A man and a five-year-old boy also inside were transported to a nearby hospital.
7:20p - These storms are producing winds in excess of 75 mph. That’s hurricane force! Everyone on the east side of the Baton Rouge metro and through Livingston Parish needs to take shelter NOW. Seek an interior room away from windows and protect your head. pic.twitter.com/mTGAwR64c3
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) May 14, 2024
Several schools closed on Tuesday following the dangerous weather event that also caused more than 30,000 people to lose power.
One person also died near Henderson, a town nearly 17 miles from the city of Lafayette. The details surrounding this person’s death have not been revealed.
On the St Martin parish sheriff’s office Facebook page, police and the Henderson mayor, Sherbin Collette, posted a video confirming the fatality and urged residents to exercise extreme caution for their own safety.
“We are asking people to PLEASE stay home and stop traveling throughout the Parish.
First responders are attempting to assist with multiple calls and increased traffic is causing secondary issues,” the post said.
Henderson’s St Martin parish public school district also remained closed on Tuesday.
“Because of the extensive damage caused by a suspected tornado in the Henderson area, all Celia area schools will be closed on May 14, 2024. All essential personnel (administrators and custodians) should report to work,” the district’s website said.
Parts of nearby Texas are also suffering from extreme weather. Houston experienced severe flooding earlier this month, resulting in the rescue of more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads.
A runway at Houston’s Hobby airport closed on Monday for repairs after being struck by lightning.
Baseball-sized hailstones pummeled central Texas over the weekend while central Florida was hit with golfball-sized hailstones on Monday.
A tornado watch remains in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia, the National Weather Service said.
While it is typical to see tornadoes around April and May, NBC reported the 2024 tornado season is on track to be one of the most active in history. Scientists have not confirmed if the climate crisis is directly to blame for the tornado uptick, but a warming climate able to hold more moisture increases the likelihood of the kind of thunderstorm that can produce a tornado.
