A violent storm system swept across the Gulf South on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, bringing torrential rain, hail, damaging winds and tornadoes from southeast Texas through Louisiana and into Mississippi. At least one person was killed and dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed Wednesday that one person died in Scott County and another was injured in Grenada County as a result of the severe weather. Preliminary reports indicated 72 homes were damaged or destroyed across six counties. In Louisiana's St. Tammany Parish, officials reported a tornado on the ground in the Slidell and Pearl River area, sharing footage of downed trees and destroyed buildings.
In New Orleans, flash flooding left numerous roads impassable, with the National Weather Service warning residents not to drive as water covered streets across the metro area. Flood watches stretched from eastern Texas to northern Florida, affecting some 13 million people, with rivers in Texas and Louisiana forecast to reach major flood stage.
More than 272,000 customers lost power across the region, including over 144,000 in Louisiana and 51,000 in Mississippi, according to PowerOutage.us. Crews were working Wednesday to restore service as the system pushed east.
