Severe storms threaten Deep South, putting 7 million at risk
Peggy Taylor said she prayed as she, a friend and her 10-month-old grandson huddled in a tub while what she believes was a tornado destroyed her patio in the Stronghope community near Wesson, Miss.
A line of thunderstorms moving across Texas was expected to deliver severe weather to the Deep South on Tuesday.
The South Texas storms left thousands without power and windows broken after hail the size of golf balls damaged buildings, though no one was hurt Monday night, according to the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office.
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Now, more than 7 million people in parts of five states — Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia — are in an area of moderate risk for tornadoes and other severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., estimated.
Fallen pine trees surround pond on Copiah County, Miss. were uprooted by the storms.
In Arkansas, heavy rain, powerful winds and snow was forecast for parts of the state Tuesday and Wednesday. The National Weather Service in Little Rock described the storm system as a “three-headed monster” on its Facebook page.
As the storms move into southeast Louisiana on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters say the severe weather will occur from the Baton Rouge area east across the parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain.
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Schools across south Louisiana and Mississippi canceled classes ahead of the storm.
In Alabama and Georgia, forecasters issued flash flood watches ahead of the storm system, which was expected to drop 1 to 2 inches of rain, with higher amounts possible in some areas. The warnings, which covered large parts of both states, were expected to be in effect through Wednesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service said new rain on already saturated soil could cause roads to flood, as well as low-lying areas and small streams. The weather service projected that some of the heaviest rain would fall in metro Atlanta and in parts of the north Georgia mountains, where up to 3 inches was expected.
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The stormy weather canceled school in parts of South Texas and apparently contributed to a school bus flipping on a rain-slick highway in Houston.
Hay bales sit outside a farm shed that was heavily damaged by recent storms in rural Copiah County, Miss.
The bus driver suffered minor injuries during the accident Tuesday morning, Houston Independent School District spokeswoman Lila Hollin said. No students were on board during what’s believed to be a weather-related crash, Hollin said. The school bus ended up on its side atop an embankment.
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