By ANDREA CAVALLIER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES
Louisiana‘s governor declared a state of emergency Wednesday after tornadoes lashed the New Orleans area, flipping vehicles, tossing a house with a family inside to the middle of their street, leaving thousands without power and killing at least one person.
A mother in Arabi, in the St. Bernard Parish, described the terrifying moment she felt her house spin a full rotation – and when she emerged, the house was in the street. Standing on top of the wreckage, she frantically screamed for help while her daughter, who was on a breathing machine, was trapped inside.
The powerful storm is the latest to devastate a region still reeling from Hurricane Ida last August and Hurricane Katrina nearly 17 years ago.
Gov. John Bel Edwards declared an emergency in St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, and thanked responders for toiling through the night.
At least two people are confirmed dead, including a 25-year-old man in St. Bernard Parish, according to a statement from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. Just north of Dallas, a woman was confirmed to be among the dead. Authorities didn’t say how they were killed.
Several other people were transported to the hospital and local emergency officials say dozens of homes were damaged in St. Bernard Parish alone. Exact numbers will become available once the initial emergency response is completed.
Other tornadoes spawned by the same system caused so much damage in Texas that the governor declared a disaster in 16 counties. Buildings were shredded in Alabama, where torrential rainfall was recorded.
The multi-day severe weather event is expected to produce more powerful storms as it moves east and is expected to smash into Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.+18View gallery
Drone footage shows the community of Arabi, in the St. Bernard Parish, that was devastated by Tuesday’s storms+18View gallery
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