At a Glance
- An EF-2 tornado was confirmed in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
- A flash flood emergency was issued for parts of east Texas including Kirbyville and Newton.
- New Orleans saw an entire months' worth of rain in seven hours.
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At least one person is dead and dozens of homes damaged or destroyed after tornadoes, flooding and severe weather rocked the south from Texas to the Florida Panhandle Wednesday.
Here are our updates as the weather roared through.
(6:54 p.m. ET) Another Possible Day Of Severe Weather Ahead
From weather.com digital meteorologist Madeline Scheinost:
There will be two areas to watch for severe weather Thursday. In South Georgia and North Florida, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes will be possible.
Meanwhile, in parts of the Ohio Valley and Northeast, all severe threats will be possible. There is also a chance for flash flooding in areas where too much rain falls too quickly.
(6:47 p.m. ET) Woman's Death Blamed On Power Outage
The death of a 64-year-old woman in Scott County, Mississippi, is being connected to a power outage after storms moved through Tuesday.
"The lady was on oxygen and when the power went out there was no way for her oxygen machine to function," Scott County Sheriff Chief Deputy Brad Ellis told weather.com in a phone call this evening.
The woman was identified as Shirley Wilson. She died early this morning.
Ellis said three other people were injured in the area, all by falling trees. One incident involved a mother and a child, and in another case a woman suffered two broken legs.
He said today was focused on cleanup, with the community and neighboring towns and agencies rallying around those impacted.
Scott County is on the east side of Jackson, Mississippi.
(6:44 p.m. ET) Tornado Confirmed In Slidell, Louisiana
The storm that ripped off roofs and sent multiple people to the hospital caused damage consistent with an EF-1 tornado, the National Weather Service in New Orleans said in an update a few minutes ago. Survey crews will go out again tomorrow to determine the length, path and top wind speeds.
An EF-1 tornado is defined as having winds between 86 mph and 110 mph.
(6:20 p.m. ET) Storms Continue Tracking East
High winds and damage are being reported in parts of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, including:
-A 61 mph wind gust in Mobile, Alabama, as well as multiple downed trees and power lines.
-Large trees down in the area of Pensacola, Florida.
-Downed fences and damaged roofs in Santa Rosa, Florida.
(5:02 p.m. ET) Squall Line Will Lose Steam
From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
We've been tracking a squall line of severe thunderstorms since just before 3 a.m. CT when it first congealed over the western suburbs of Houston. It has since tracked about 575 miles in 11 hours into the western Florida Panhandle.
We do expect this line to eventually lose steam by this evening.
Behind that line, only scattered showers and storms with locally heavy rain are expected. Nothing matching the severity of what we've seen earlier today.
Get the full forecast here
(4:49 p.m. ET) Louisiana Communities Declare Emergencies
Both the city of Slidell and the parish it sits in, St. Tammany, declared emergencies this afternoon over the damage from severe weather earlier today.
The city is handing out free tarps to those with roof damage.
A multi-agency response team of local and state officials are working to assess and clear damage.
Several people were transported to hospitals with "mild to moderate" injuries.
(4:36 p.m. ET) A Months' Worth Of Rain Fell In One Day In New Orleans
From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
In general, 3 to 8 inches of rain was measured in the NOLA metro today, including 6.44 inches at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
That's more than the average 5.22 inches of rainfall for the entire month of April, and it all happened in about 7 hours.
(3:57 p.m. ET) Woman Warns Coworkers: 'Tornado!'
Robin Marquez and other employees were at work in a two-story building in Slidell, Louisiana, when the storm moved in.
The sky darkened and a menacing cloud quickly approached, Marquez told The Associated Press.
“Tornado,” she screamed to alert her coworkers.
Marquez and seven others hunkered down in her office. They heard what sounded like a train as the lights flickered. They felt the building being ripped apart.
“I’ve never talked to God so much before in my life,” Marquez said.
(3:37 p.m. ET) Photos Show Damage In Slidell, Louisiana
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(2:54 p.m. ET) One Dead In Mississippi
One person is dead and another injured amid the storms in Mississippi.
The death happened east of Jackson in Scott County, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Further details weren't immediately released.
The agency is also reporting more than 70 homes damaged across six counties.
(2:46 p.m. ET) Slidell police officer: 'Looks like Baghdad'
From weather.com senior news editor Dave Siff:
Slidell, Louisiana, police officer Rodney West, a military veteran, says the aftermath of Wednesday’s apparent tornado brought to mind what he saw in Iraq.
“Looks like Baghdad in ‘04,” West said in a social media post.
“Buildings with the windows busted out, cars on their side, other vehicles wrecked, power lines down. Worst-case scenario that you could imagine.”
West said upon arriving at the scene, he attended to a woman who was trapped in her overturned car and stayed with her until paramedics arrived.
“Stay at home, don’t come out,” West said to Slidell residents. “There’s nails all over the place, you’re gonna get them in your tires. There’s live power lines down. The less people we have to deal with, the better.”
(2:13 p.m. ET) Tornado Confirmed In Lake Charles, Louisiana
The National Weather Service confirmed a strong tornado hit the town of Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana early this morning. The NWS survey team rated the tornado an EF-2 on the Fujita scale, with winds up to 115 mph.
It touched down around 6:42 a.m. and traveled about a mile over the next four minutes, according to the survey.
Roofs were ripped off several homes along the tornado's path, but there were no reports of injuries or deaths.
(2:03 p.m. ET) Here’s Why Squall Lines Are So Dangerous
From weather.com senior meteorologist Dina Knightly:
Today’s severe weather could play out in a squall line that advances across the South.
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Squall lines can be hundreds of miles long and typically form in areas of unstable atmosphere where air can rise, usually near a front.
They’re often associated with straight-line wind damage, but tornadoes are also possible.
And they can bring strong downbursts from thunderstorms that can cause significant wind damage and flash flooding.
Read more about squall lines here.
(1:57 p.m. ET) 'The Streets Simply Aren’t Safe Right Now'
Emergency officials In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, are urging people to stay off the roads.
Joe Valiente with Jefferson’s Emergency Management Office told The Weather Channel they’re dealing with at least one sinkhole caused by flooding and they’ve recorded as much as 6.5 inches of rainfall so far.
“We’ve been pulling an awful lot of water since 6 a.m. this morning," Valiente said.
He added that so far the parish’s drainage system has been operating at 100% and all the stations are manned.
(1:34 p.m. ET) Florida Panhandle Schools Dismissing Early
Schools will dismiss two hours early today in Okaloosa County, which includes the cities of Fort Walton Beach and Niceville. Students in neighboring Walton County will be released 90 minutes early.
(1:18 p.m. ET) One Person Critical After Tree Falls
At least four people were hurt when a tree fell on a car in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, according to storm reports tracked by the National Weather Service.
One person in critical condition was being airlifted to a hospital in Baton Rouge, about 60 miles east of where the incident occurred.
(12:46 p.m. ET) More Than 200,000 Without Power
Power outages are surging as severe storms and possible twisters rip across parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
More than 200,000 customers are without power, the largest chunk of them in Louisiana in the New Orleans metro area, according to PowerOutage.us.
That number is expected to rise as these storms push further into Mississippi.
(12:31 p.m. ET) Slidell Police: 'It's Bad, Guys'
Damage is extensive in Slidell, Louisiana, according to a new update from police. Buildings lost roofs and collapsed, and trees and power lines are down over a wide area. The National Weather Service says a possible tornado moved through the area.
High water rescue vehicles are on their way to areas where floodwaters are rising.
"It's bad, guys," an official said in the update.
There are reports of "moderate to mild injuries" the official said.
Additional resources are being called in to help with search and response.
(12:17 p.m. ET) First Responders On Scene Of Damage In Slidell, Louisiana
Dozens of people were rescued from an apartment building that lost its roof as severe weather moved through Slidell, about 25 miles northeast of New Orleans, according to a Facebook post from local police. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
"The damage is just unbelievable and this is only the beginning," a person narrating the video said. "We're still making our way through the city to try to assess the totality of everything, but this storm was no joke."
(11:58 a.m. ET) National Weather Service Issues Flash Flood Emergency For New Orleans
The metro New Orleans area is under a flash flood emergency with the weather service calling it a “life threatening situation.” Residents in New Orleans, Chalmette and Meraux are urged to move to higher ground immediately. Over 400,000 people are located in an area exposed to the threat.
(10:54 a.m. ET) Flooding Making Roads Across New Orleans Impassable
We’re getting new updates on roads in New Orleans that are now closed due to high water.
According to the National Weather Service the Franklin Underpass is closed. Esplanade and Clairborne are impassable, so are Elysian Fields and Abundance.
There’s at least 6 inches of standing water on Canal Street near the Saenger Theater.
State office buildings are closed today and officials have asked drivers to limit travel if possible, high winds could put large trucks at risk.
Tens of thousands of people have already lost power across Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.us.
(10:29 a.m. ET) People In Parts Of East Texas Urged To Seek Higher Ground
Between 8 to 14 inches of rain have fallen in parts of East Texas according to the latest flash flood emergency warning from the National Weather Service.
With more rain coming down people in parts of Tyler, Jasper and Newton counties are being warned this is a “particularly dangerous situation” and they should “seek higher ground now!”
(10 a.m. ET) New Orleans Report Pumps, Turbine Down Ahead Of Severe Weather
New Orleans' ability to pump water during severe weather today could be compromised, increasing the risk for severe flooding. The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans confirmed that 7 pumps, one turbine, and two backup generators are down.
The offline turbine — turbine 4 — was blamed in February for massive flooding in the city. following heavy rain and severe storms. That turbine is 109 years old.
(9:55 a.m. ET) Disaster Declaration Issued For Jasper County, Texas
Jasper County officials say multiple people were rescued from both homes and vehicles due to flooding in the area. The city of Kirbyville remains underwater. The office of Jasper County Judge Mark Allen issued a disaster declaration citing “imminent threat of widespread or severe property damage, injury or loss of life.”
(9:43 a.m. ET) Wind Gusts Could Reach 80 mph In Baton Rouge Area
A severe thunderstorm warning continues for the areas of Baton Rouge, Zachary and Central Louisiana.
The National Weather Service warns that this destructive storm will have wind gusts up to 80 MPH.
(9:05 a.m. ET) New Orleans Issues Highest-Level Severe Storm Warning
With new reports of structural damage and “widespread wind damage in St. Landry Parish”, The National Weather Service is issuing their highest-level severe thunderstorm warning for the Baton Rouge area.
From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman: "You should seek shelter as if this was a tornado warning. The squall line of storms has the potential to spin up a rain-wrapped tornado."
(8:58 a.m. ET) All Major Roads Into Texas Town Closed
Major flooding has led authorities to shut down all major roads into Kirbyville, Texas. Emergency crews have been deployed throughout the area in anticipation of another line of storms on the way. Officials are asking everyone in the area not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dade Phelan said boat crews have been activated in the area.
(8:40 a.m. ET) Flash Flood Warning Issued For Metro New Orleans
From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
There are three areas of concern right now:
1. A squall line of severe thunderstorms capable of power outages, downing trees and embedded tornadoes is racing east through Louisiana.
2. A broad area of heavy rain continues from near the Sabine River in east Texas into central and northern Louisiana and Mississippi. Parts of east Texas, including the town of Kirbyville, have picked up 8 to 12 inches of rain since last night.
3. Clusters of thunderstorms east of the squall line are soaking the New Orleans metro and southeast Louisiana. This will lead to flash flooding even before the squall line arrives.
(8:35 a.m. ET) Structures Damaged Near Houston
As the storms rolled through the Houston area, some damage was reported. Check out these photos from local anchor Sally MacDonald. The damage to the Firestone auto repair building was in Katy, a suburb of western Houston.
According to KPRC-TV, the Bourbon Street Sports Bar suffered major window damage next door to the auto repair shop. So far, no injuries have been reported in the area.
(8:20 a.m. ET) Flash Flood Emergency Ongoing In East Texas
Rain totals have exceeded a foot in parts of eastern Texas, and that has taken a toll on some communities. In parts of Tyler, Jasper and Newton counties, a flash flood emergency was declared by the National Weather Service as towns like Kirbyville and Newton quickly became overwhelmed by the prolific rainfall.
“PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!” said the NWS in the warning.
According to local storm reports, some homes in Kirbyville had several feet of water in them and Highway 96, which runs through the town, was closed this morning.
Based in New York, weather.com reporter Tim Harris is a digital journalist with a broad reporting portfolio that spans environmental science, lifestyle topics and breaking news.
Managing Editor Sean Breslin contributed to this report.
