Five states, from Texas to Florida, have been hit by severe weather and tornadoes this week, causing a lot of harm.
There have been 14 confirmed tornadoes in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida from late Tuesday night to Thursday evening.
Not only did the storm system bring tornadoes, but it also caused flash floods in eastern Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Tallahassee, Florida.
The most recent tornado was reported on Thursday at 11:37 a.m. local time in Bakersville, Florida. Information about how strong the tornado was and how much harm it did has not been made public.
The Ohio Valley is at risk for tornadoes and flooding from Thursday afternoon to Thursday evening. Most of the danger will still come from damaging winds and a few storms, but hail could also fall in a few places.
On Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET, a tornado watch was put out for parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that an EF-2 tornado with winds of up to 115 mph hit Lake Charles, Louisiana. The tornado caused harm to several homes and a hospital in the area.
Wednesday, two tornadoes hit Cameron Parish, Louisiana, near Lake Charles. Both were rated EF-1 and had winds of up to 100 mph. One of the tornadoes was strong enough to flip a mobile home over, while the other one’s major damage was to trees.
NWS says that the “rating” of a tornado is based on its expected wind speed and the damage it causes. “EF” stands for “Enhanced Fujita.”
NWS says that on Wednesday in Port Arthur, Texas, an EF-2 tornado with winds of up to 120 mph touched down and stayed there for four minutes. Its path was 2.7 miles long and 300 yards wide.
A short tornado also hit Georgetown, Alabama, on Wednesday. There was some damage, but nothing too bad. The tornado was rated EF-1 and had speeds of up to 100 mph.
Along with the other storms, one hit Slidell, Louisiana, on Wednesday. Slidell is about 30 miles outside of New Orleans. Officials say the tornado damaged buildings and knocked down power lines while it rained hard in the town.
The size and power of the tornado in Slidell have not yet been made public.
At a news conference Wednesday night, Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal said that the storm did not kill anyone or seriously hurt anyone.
Another tornado was reported in St. Francisville, Louisiana. A survey is still going on to find out how strong and large the tornado was.
In Mississippi, an EF-0 tornado with speeds of up to 85 mph hit the Lake Camden area on Wednesday. This came after an EF-1 tornado hit Learned, Mississippi, on Tuesday.
In other parts of the state, one person died in Scott County, Mississippi, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. They also said that at least 72 homes across the state were injured.
Katy, Texas, was hit by an EF-1 tornado on Tuesday with winds of up to 90 mph. For sure, the National Weather Service said the short tornado hit the area at 2:45 a.m. and had a path that was 1.67 miles long and 300 yards wide.
