Louisiana Tornado Destroys Five Houses

A tornado shredded five homes in this small southwest Louisiana community Thursday night and damaged 15 others, but no injuries were reported, state police said Friday.

A National Weather Service spokesman said high winds downed tree limbs and utility lines in the southwestern part of the state but caused little damage outside of Maryville. The tornado cut a swath five miles long and 500 feet wide, the spokesman said.

Earlier Thursday, several dozen homes were damaged and at least three people were slightly injured by a series of small tornadoes in the Houston area, Texas emergency officials reported.

The most extensive damage was in the suburb of Sugarland, where a tornado knocked down trees, power lines and fences and ripped the roofs off dozens of homes in an upscale subdivision.