At a Glance
- Cars were smashed by falling trees at Mississippi State University.
- A disaster was declared in 16 Texas counties.
- Power was knocked out to more than 80,000 homes and businesses.
Cars and homes were damaged in Mississippi, a disaster was declared in 16 Texas counties and at least two people are dead as a severe weather outbreak continued to sweep across parts of the South Tuesday.
Here's a look at how people and communities were affected.
Storms Move into Alabama
Damage was reported in Moundville, about 12 miles south of Tuscaloosa.
Tornado Tears Through New Orleans
Homes were damaged in the New Orleans metro area Tuesday night as one tornado moved through the city and another was confirmed north of Lake Pontchartrain.
At least one person was killed.
"State agencies are assisting local officials as needed as they assess the damage and impacts of these tornadoes," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards tweeted. "My prayers are with you in Southeast Louisiana tonight. Please be safe."
The hardest hit areas appeared to be Arabi, the Lower 9th Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish.
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Texas Nursing Home Evacuated
About 100 residents were forced to leave a nursing home that was damaged by a tornado in Madisonville, Texas.
The facility's roof was ripped off and power lines were knocked down in the area, according to KRIV-TV. Officials say it will take at least two months for repairs to be made.
Shelters Open in Alabama
As of about 5:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday, dozens of community shelters were open in Alabama, including Birmingham and Jefferson County as well as the city and county of Tuscaloosa.
(FORECAST: Severe Weather Sweeping Across South)
Cars Crushed at Mississippi State University
Several cars were smashed by falling trees at the MSU campus in Starkville.
Video posted to social media showed car roofs crushed and windows shattered.
Debris Litters Community College Campus
Seventy miles southwest of Starkville, Holmes Community College in Goodman, Mississippi, was also hit Tuesday.
A roof was ripped off a building and photos showed more damaged cars and debris littering the campus.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Resident Describes Tornado Hitting House
Jacksboro, Texas, resident Russ Ray went outside to check the sky as storms approached Monday. To the west, it was dark.
“(I) ran back in the house, grabbed the dog, got in the bathroom and hunkered down and within 5 seconds the tornado hit," Ray told The Weather Channel Tuesday. "Took off the roof, took out the ceiling, pretty much demolished the house.”
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-3 tornado hit the area.
State of Emergency in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba declared a local emergency ahead of the storms Tuesday. The city was distributing sandbags until 4 p.m. and residents were advised to remain vigilant and have emergency supplies on hand.
The city closed its early childhood development centers and senior centers as a precaution, according to a news release.
University of Alabama Shuts Down
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa suspended operations until 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Campus shelters will be opened if a tornado watch is issued, the university said in a news release.
Disaster Declared in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a weather disaster declaration Tuesday in the following counties: Bastrop, Cass, Cooke, Grayson, Guadalupe, Houston, Jack, Madison, Marion, Montague, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Upshur, Williamson and Wise.
It's in some of those counties where damage occurred during a tornado outbreak late Monday, including in Jacksboro, northeast of Fort Worth in Jack County, and Sherwood Shores in Grayson County, where a 73-year-old woman was killed.
There have been twenty reports of tornadoes Monday into Tuesday in Texas, and one in Oklahoma, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Tornadoes may be reported multiple times along their path.
Power Outages Spread
Nearly 42,000 homes and businesses were without power in Texas as of 3 p.m. CDT, according to PowerOutage.us. About 25,000 power outages were being reported in Louisiana and 19,000 in Mississippi.
Damage Reported in Mississippi
A reported tornado caused damage including downed trees and power lines in the Vicksburg area in Warren County. John Elfer, director of the county's emergency management, told the Vicksburg Post that at least four tornadoes were reported in the area Tuesday afternoon.
Four homes were damaged, Elfer said, including three houses with roof damage and a mobile home hit by a falling tree.
"There are trees down all over the county and we still have the potential for flash flooding," a Facebook post from the county at about 1:15 p.m. CDT said. "Please use extreme caution if traveling on the roadways."
Trees were also being reported down in nearby Hinds County, where Jackson is located.
School Canceled in Louisiana
Several school districts in Louisiana called off classes or moved to virtual learning Tuesday, including West Baton Rouge, St. James Parish and St. Tammany Parish.
Other districts, including St. Charles Parish and some schools in New Orleans, planned to dismiss students early.
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