Current:Home > StocksSevere weather takes aim at parts of the Ohio Valley after battering the South-LoTradeCoin
Severe weather takes aim at parts of the Ohio Valley after battering the South
View Date:2024-12-23 19:34:33
ATLANTA (AP) — Powerful storms rumbled over parts of the U.S. Southeast early Thursday, prompting a few tornado warnings, causing flash flooding, and delaying the start of one of the world’s biggest sports events along the Georgia coast.
The storm system, which started Wednesday, has already been blamed for at least one death in Mississippi, demolished buildings and flooded streets in the New Orleans area. It continued to spawn flash flood and tornado warnings in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina on Thursday.
More than 100,000 customers lacked power early Thursday nationwide. That included more than 30,000 in Georgia, where the bad weather was ongoing, according to PowerOutage.us.
Now, forecasters say parts of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia will be near the bullseye of a new area of concern Thursday. Those areas could see some tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail, according to the latest outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center.
In Augusta, Georgia, the start of the Masters golf tournament was delayed by at least one hour, tournament officials announced. They said they would monitor conditions throughout the day Thursday.
Damage was reported from Texas to the Florida Panhandle.
A tornado struck Slidell, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of New Orleans, on Wednesday. It ripped roofs off buildings and partially collapsed others in and around the city of about 28,000. Authorities said first responders had to rescue people trapped in one apartment building.
Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer estimated at a news conference Wednesday night that about 75 homes and businesses were damaged. Parish President Mike Cooper estimated that hundreds more homes were damaged outside the city.
Police video showed tree limbs littering the streets and flooded yards that resembled swamps. Outside a McDonald’s restaurant, a car was on its side, power poles leaned, and large pieces of the trademark golden arches were strewn about.
“I’ve never talked to God so much before in my life,” Robin Marquez said after huddling with co-workers in a two-story building where the roof was ripped away and walls caved in.
There were no reports of deaths or critical injuries in Slidell. The National Weather Service posted on social media Wednesday that initial surveys indicate the area was hit by an EF-1 tornado, with winds from 86 mph (138 kph) to 110 mph (177 kph).
Close to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of New Orleans. It came as the system of pipes and pumps that drains the city dealt with problems with its power generating system, forcing workers to divert power as needed.
“During intense rain, the mission sometimes shifts from keeping the streets dry to draining them as quickly as possible,” the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board said in a statement.
A woman died in central Mississippi when a power outage shut down her oxygen machine, officials said. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said 72 homes were damaged.
In Texas, several people were rescued from homes and vehicles early Wednesday when flooding inundated parts of Jasper County, near the Louisiana line, authorities said.
In the Houston suburb of Katy, strong thunderstorms collapsed part of the roof of an auto repair shop. Storms also damaged businesses and cars in a strip mall, sending a large air conditioning unit on the roof crashing to the parking lot, officials said. Some of the damage was preliminarily determined to have been caused by a weak tornado, officials said.
“We were blessed that no lives were lost,” Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said. Only minor injuries were reported.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Kentucky governor says investigators will determine what caused deadly Louisville factory explosion
- Free People’s Warm Weather Staples Are Up To 66% Off - Plus Get Free Shipping & Deals Starting At $30
- Cause of death for Thomas Kingston, Lady Gabriella's husband, is released: Reports
- Australian spy chief under pressure to name traitor politician accused of working with spies of foreign regime
- A crowd of strangers brought 613 cakes and then set out to eat them
- A party like no other? Asia’s richest man celebrates son’s prenuptials with a star-studded bash
- Nevada, northern California brace for blizzard, 'life-threatening' conditions
- Powerful storm in California and Nevada shuts interstate and dumps snow on mountains
- John Robinson, former USC Trojans and Los Angeles Rams coach, dies at 89
- National Pig Day: Piglet used as 'football' in game of catch finds forever home after rescue
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Take the Day Off
- L.A. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani announces that he's married
- Why Victoria Beckham Is Stepping Out at Paris Fashion Week With Crutches
- What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, listening and reading
- Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas says he was detained in airport over being ‘disoriented’
- 'Excess deaths' in Gaza for next 6 months projected in first-of-its-kind effort
- Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's Son Moses Looks So Grown Up in Rare Photo
- Inter Miami vs. Orlando City updates: How to watch Messi, what to know about today's game
Recommendation
-
Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
-
Kate Somerville Spills the Secret to Looking Younger Instantly & It's Super Easy
-
These Cute Swimsuits From Amazon Are All Under $40 & Will Have You Ready for a Beach Day
-
Migrant brawl at reception center in Panama’s Darien region destroys shelter
-
Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
-
Mary-Kate, Ashley and Elizabeth Olsen Prove They Have Passports to Paris With Rare Outing
-
For an Indigenous woman, discovering an ancestor's remains mixed both trauma and healing
-
Caitlin Clark, the Tiger Woods of women's basketball, changes everything for Indiana, WNBA