Severe storms wreaked havoc across the Southern region, leading to numerous deaths, including a pregnant woman who was in her ninth month, as verified by authorities.
Nine Months Pregnant Woman Dies in Louisiana Storms
In Louisiana, three people died due to the adverse weather conditions on Monday. Among them was a pregnant woman named Kristin Browning, aged 31, who fatally died when a tree crushed onto her mobile home in Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish.
The unborn child also did not survive, categorized as a casualty of the storm, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
Additionally, a man and a 5-year-old child, rescued from the rubble of the mobile home, sustained mild to moderate wounds and were transferred to a nearby hospital.
Another storm-related casualty happened in Cecilia, St. Martin Parish, where a woman demis after her camper overturned amidst strong winds on Monday, as recorded by the Louisiana Health Department.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry highlighted the convergence of two storm systems on Monday evening in St. Martin Parish, which exacerbated the severity and extent of the storm, rendering it perilous and fatal.
The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings in the area, with three tornadoes confirmed in Louisiana on Monday, including one rated EF1 in Lake Charles and two rated EF2 in Sulphur and Henderson.
Meanwhile, in Mississippi, severe weather claimed one life in Wilkinson County following the weekend into Monday, as per the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Additionally, one person sustained injuries in Lawrence County, while several homes incurred damage across Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, and Smith counties.
The severe storms on Monday generated at least 130 reports of damaging weather from Idaho to Florida, marking the 19th consecutive day of tornadoes reported across the United States.
Severe Storm Hit Southern Region
From Texas to Florida, communities were struck by flash flooding and storms, leaving 186,000 energy customers without power by 9:30 p.m. on Monday.
As of Tuesday morning, over 105,000 customers remained without power across five states, including 70,000 in Louisiana and 14,000 in Florida.
The National Weather Service cautioned that the threat of severe weather might persist on Tuesday, with the potential for damaging winds and "very large hail" across the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, along with possible tornadoes in central and southern Florida and southern Georgia.
Sheriff Becket Breaux of St. Martin Parish confirmed one fatality on the outskirts of Henderson and noted tornado damage across the county.
Henderson Mayor Sherbin Collette described extensive damage to roads and structures, urging people to avoid affected areas.
Video footage from Henderson depicted devastated buildings, including Pat's Fisherman's Wharf, a longstanding seafood restaurant. The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office advised against sightseeing amid the wreckage.
In Louisiana, social media footage revealed hazardous driving conditions due to flash flooding in Denham Springs, while homes were surrounded by water in Zachary. Sulphur experienced strong winds that overturned vehicles and damaged buildings.
Alabama witnessed 14 tornado warnings on Monday alone, according to the weather service.
In Texas, hailstorms battered the city of Victoria with golf ball-sized hailstones, and lightning strikes led to the closure of Hobby Airport in Houston after damaging a runway.
Florida faced additional storms, amidst ongoing recovery efforts from previous tornadoes. Tallahassee reported extensive damage to utility poles, surpassing the combined toll of Hurricanes Hermine, Irma, and Michael.
April and May typically see heightened tornado activity, but this year has been notably active across the Southeast, Great Plains, and Midwest.
Over 6,000 reports of large hail and damaging winds, including 267 tornadoes across 19 states, have been recorded in the past two weeks, making this April the second most active on record, trailing only 2011.
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