Nation : 2 Die, Trailers, Homes Battered, as Tornadoes Hit Baton Rouge Area

A tornado wiped out nearly a square mile of trailers and other buildings here early today, killing at least two people, and twisters destroyed or damaged nearly 100 homes in Baton Rouge.

The twisters were part of a storm system that also sent tornadoes to numerous other towns overnight and knocked out power throughout southeastern Louisiana.

No serious injuries were reported 15 miles away in Baton Rouge, where at least four twisters touched down 19 times, destroying or damaging almost 70 mobile homes and 25 to 30 houses.

Richard Zuschlag, co-owner of an ambulance service, said his ambulances took at least two dozen people from the Grosse Tete and Greensburg areas to the hospital.

Dan Lennie, an emergency worker in Grosse Tete, said 35 to 50 homes were damaged by the twister, which struck after 6 a.m., splintering 75-foot trees and knocking out virtually all electricity, gas and telephone service in the town of 750.