Three people are confirmed dead and a dozen more injured as a powerful storm front packing suspected tornadoes smashed into buildings, downed trees and left a trail of destruction around the Deep South yesterday, authorities say.
One person is reported killed in a suspected tornado strike on a Louisiana home, and two others are reported dead after another storm hit around a community about 55 miles (90 kilometers) west of the north Alabama city of Huntsville.
Lawrence County Coroner Scott Norwood in Alabama says the two people killed were husband and wife. Authorities say the injured people included a 7-year-old-child who was taken to a hospital in Birmingham. Authorities do not release names of the victims.
The area was filled with debris and downed trees when first responders arrived.
“It was total chaos,“ Norwood tells reporters. “We had to make do the best we could.”
The storms prompted numerous tornado watches and warnings yesterday. Some cities opened shelters as a cold front collided with warmer air over northern Gulf Coast states and temperatures were expected to plunge. The National Weather Service said the severe weather threat could last into today.
— AP
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
