Winter storms - Deadly Louisiana tornadoes damage hospital, trap people as blizzard heads across Plains

Tracking the huge winter storm as it moves across the US as it happened

US storm brings tornadoes, blizzard-Like conditions; leaves two dead

A destructive storm ripping across the US spawned tornadoes that killed a young boy and his mother in northern Louisiana threatened the South with more severe weather on Wednesday. Dozens have been injured in the state.

Further tornado warnings were issued this morning for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, where mobile homes at a park in Sharkey County were reduced to piles of shredded debris. A tornado watch was put into effect in parts of Alabama.

To the north, the huge storm system delivered blizzard-like conditions to the Great Plains and was expected to push more snow and ice into Appalachia and New England as the week progresses.

It began by dumping heavy snow in the Sierra Nevadas at the start of the week before dumping as much as two feet of snow in South Dakota and Nebraska, where strong winds made it impossible to see outside.

Winter storm warnings, winter storm watches and winter weather advisories have been issued by the National Weather Service for an area extending to the upper Midwest, northern Great Lakes, and parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

[14 December 2022 18:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Where can blizzards be expected?

Blizzard warnings are posted in parts of five states, including western Nebraska, eastern Wyoming, southeast Montana, western South Dakota, and far northeast Minnesota, including Duluth, The Weather Channel reports.

Winter storm warnings, winter storm watches, and winter weather advisories have been issued by the National Weather Service for a broader area that extends as far east as the upper Midwest, northern Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

I​ce storm warnings are also posted in northwest Virginia, northeast West Virginia, western Maryland, and a small part of west-central Pennsylvania. These areas could see damaging ice accumulations.

[14 December 2022 18:55 · Oliver O'Connell]

[14 December 2022 19:24 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘Numerous tornadoes expected'

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch for southwest Alabama, southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and adjacent coastal waters. Numerous tornadoes are expected, with a few intense tornadoes likely.

[14 December 2022 19:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

New Iberia tornado update

The people trapped in damaged homes in the city of New Iberia have been rescued and no fatalities have been reported at this time. The injured have been transported to local hospitals.

[14 December 2022 19:53 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘Particularly dangerous situation’ across large area of South

[14 December 2022 20:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Recap: Destructive winter storm tracks across US

A destructive winter storm marched across the United States on Wednesday, delivering blizzard-like conditions to the Great Plains hours after tornadoes touched down in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

[14 December 2022 20:10 · Oliver O'Connell]

State of emergency declared by Louisiana governor

L​ouisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency because of the severe weather.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the mother and child who were killed in Southwest Caddo Parish due to one of numerous reported tornados,” the governor said in a statement. “My prayers go out to the family as well as those who were injured or lost their homes. I will be traveling to the Shreveport area and Union Parish today to tour the damage and response efforts. Unfortunately, this severe weather event is not yet out of our state as it now moves into Central and South Louisiana. Please stay weather aware and follow the directions of local officials.”

[14 December 2022 20:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

Tornadoes first reported in Texas on Tuesday

Five tornadoes were confirmed across north Texas as of Tuesday afternoon based on video and eyewitness reports, but potentially a dozen may have occurred, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, Texas, reported.

Dozens of homes and businesses were damaged by the line of thunderstorms, and several people were injured in the suburbs and counties stretching north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. More than 1,000 flights into and out of area airports were delayed, and over 100 were canceled, according to the tracking service FlightAware.

[14 December 2022 20:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Young boy and mother killed in northern Louisiana

A young boy and his mother were killed when a tornado touched down in northern Louisiana.

The boy was found dead in a wooded area more than a half-mile from his home in the Keithville area, where a violent storm struck overnight just south of Shreveport, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator said. The child’s mother was later found dead around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday one street over from her home, he said.

The child’s father reported them missing from their home, which the sheriff said was demolished in the storm.

“We couldn’t even find the house that he was describing with the address. Everything was gone,” Prator told Shreveport TV station KSLA.

Louise Boyle has the full story:

[14 December 2022 21:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trail of destruction across Louisiana as south braces for more

In Farmerville, Louisiana, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the east of Keithville, about 20 people were taken to a hospital, some with critical injuries, after a tornado caused major damage to mobile homes and an apartment complex, the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office told Monroe TV station KNOE.

The destructive storm continued its path across the US on Wednesday where more severe weather was expected in the South, and potentially additional tornadoes along the central Gulf Coast, including New Orleans and southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.