(CNN) – Tornadoes in Mississippi and Louisiana caused “catastrophic” damage and at least six deaths after making landfall Sunday, emergency officials said.
Authorities say hundreds of structures were damaged by storms.
Two people died in Lawrence County, Mississippi, according to Monticello Fire Chief Lyle Berard, who said there were reports of two tornadoes in the area.
“It is quite serious,” he said. “We have felled trees and several houses with major damage.”
The Mississippi State Emergency Management Agency confirmed the Lawrence County deaths. The agency said in Twitter that one person had died in Walthall County and that three deaths had been confirmed in Jefferson Davis County.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency for the storms.
“This is not how someone wants to celebrate Easter Sunday,” Reeves said in a statement. “The state and our first responders are working 24 hours and will not rest until this is over. We are mobilizing all available resources to protect our people and their property. “
In Covington County, Mississippi, all available emergency workers were working Sunday night to respond to the damage of what the National Weather Service described as “a large and destructive tornado,” the director of the Department of Fire Department told CNN. County Emergency Management, Greg Sanford.
“Where there were houses, they are no longer there,” Sanford said, describing reports of damage in the small community of Mount Horeb.
Sanford says the county has received many calls about injured people, but is still unsure of the severity of the injuries.
There have been an unspecified number of deaths and “various injuries” in Jones County, Mississippi, due to the storms, according to the county’s director of emergency management communications, Ramona Dungan.
Dungan said there was extensive damage to the city of Soso.
Candice Pitts rode the storm at the Soso Volunteer Fire Station.
“All I had to put on my son and my mother-in-law were my arms,” she said. “It was near a solid glass door that was blown up and the roof broke or collapsed in many places. My car was parked under a shed that has now overturned in a nearby yard. It is shattered. “
LOOK: Easter Sunday brings tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana
Tornado alerts were issued throughout the south
Starting at 9:30 p.m. ET, the weather service has 25 reports of tornadoes across the south on Easter Sunday. More than 95 million people in nearly 20 states in the south and east face the threat of severe weather on Easter Sunday and Monday, with tornado alerts issued in areas of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.
CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said a tornado with winds approaching 320 km / h had swept south Mississippi on Sunday afternoon.
“There was a tornado emergency in effect at the time and this tornado was probably on the ground for almost 160 kms. The southeast remains under threat from multiple tornadoes, more dangerous and destructive at night, as tornado alerts are in effect until midnight and will likely extend east on Monday, ”said Norman.
Monroe, Louisiana.
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The National Weather Service previously issued its highest level of tornado alert, a tornado emergency, for parts of Covington and Jefferson Davis counties. The meteorological service said confidence was high that the area was seeing a “strong to intense” tornado with winds of 185-265 kms / h.
The mayor of Monroe, a city in north-central Louisiana of approximately 50,000 people, says hundreds of structures in his community were damaged by a tornado on Sunday afternoon.
“At least 200-300 houses have been damaged here in the city of Monroe alone,” said Mayor Jamie Mayo. “We have also suffered damage throughout the Ouachita parish.”
Mayo said no deaths from the storm were reported, but emergency workers responded to “minor injuries.” Firefighters were also looking for damaged buildings to make sure no one was caught.
Alfonzo Galván, journalism student, recorded a video from a Monroe neighborhood with street debris and several houses with significant damage. He told CNN that his family was safe and had no harm. Live approximately 2.4 kms away from the area in the video.
“I got there after the tornado passed through the area, but it was just a group of people inspecting the damage to their homes and looking for their friends and loved ones to make sure they were all right,” Galvan said.
Shelter amid coronavirus
More than a dozen reports of tornadoes have been received in east Texas, northern Louisiana and southern Mississippi and a tornado was confirmed early Sunday south of Marble Falls, about 80 kms east of Austin, he said. the meteorological service. It seemed to weaken as it moved north.
The threat of storms coincided with the dangers of the pandemic of coronavirus in progress. Officials in Mississippi said most of the county’s safe rooms were equipped with hand sanitizer and advised residents to still wear masks in the rooms.
“Social distancing as best as possible inside the safe room,” said Malary White, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
From a tornado shelter in Starkville, Mississippi, Craig Ceecee told CNN that the staff was telling people to practice social distancing.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey emitted a state of emergency before the severe weather on Sunday night, suspending coronavirus-related orders where life could be in danger.
“Shelters and safe community rooms should remain open and accessible to all people seeking refuge from this severe climate, while implementing reasonable practices and procedures to prevent the spread of covid-19 among those seeking refuge,” he said. .
Monroe Mayor Mayo said he had asked local hotels to provide rooms for people left homeless by the storms, as the coronavirus made opening a shelter potentially dangerous.
Tornadoes land in Texas and Louisiana
Monroe published Photos on their Instagram page showing downed power lines and significant damage to an airport building. “PLEASE AVOID THE AREA as the emergency teams do their job,” the publication said.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards urged residents to stay home.
Even though morning storms have left the state, many other dangerous systems remain throughout Louisiana. Please stay home, follow the orders of local officials and tune in to your local meteorologist for updates. ” He said Edwards on Twitter.
Monroe Airport, Louisiana.
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“The images and reports of major tornado damage in the Monroe area are heartbreaking, and my prayers go out to the people there. We are in contact with local officials in the area to provide support. I hope all of Louisiana is on high alert now, ”Edward said in another tweet.
Edwards declared a state of emergency for the “devastating damage” in his state. His office said the governor would tour tornado damage in Monroe and Ouchita Parish on Monday.
Starting at 9:30 p.m. ET, more than 250,000 houses in the south were without electricity as severe weather hit the region.
There were 103,027 houses without electricity in Texas, 75,865 houses without electricity in Arkansas, 64,141 houses without electricity in Alabama, 37,842 houses without electricity in Louisiana and 15,920 houses without electricity in Mississippi, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks power outages in U.S.
The storm system hit Texas on Saturday
The large storm system that brought severe weather to the Texas areas on Saturday was expected to shift eastward, spoiling the holidays for many in the southeast.
On Saturday, severe weather ripped through San Angelo, Texas, causing the roof of a shed to peel off.
Strong long-running tornadoes were forecast for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia along with strong winds and hail the size of tennis balls or larger.
“Widespread damaging winds are also forecast for much of the southern states,” said CNN meteorologist Haley Brink. “Strong winds have the potential to cause similar damage to some tornadoes.”
“These storms are generally warned as severe storm warnings and not necessarily tornado warnings, so it is important to heed all warnings issued by the offices of the National Weather Service,” said Brink.
READ: Easter weekend could bring tornadoes and strong winds in the US
Flash floods are expected in some states in the central south, including Tennessee, North Carolina, and northern parts of Georgia and Alabama, where rainfall totals could reach up to 20 centimeters.
Most other areas will receive 7 to 15 centimeters.
A second wave of severe storms
Forecasters warn that after a storm passes, residents should not let their guard down.
“For Georgia, we expect two possible waves of activity: the first will be on Sunday afternoon when a warm front moves through the area,” said Kyle Thiem, a meteorologist with the office of the National Weather Service in Atlanta. “The second wave of storms will likely occur overnight as the main system moves east.”
By Monday, the system will focus on the east coast. There will still be a threat of tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, and hail.
To stay on top of dangerous conditions, officials advise residents to have multiple methods of receiving severe weather alerts, including weather radio and smartphone apps. For applications, make sure they are not in “do not disturb” or “silent” mode.
If a tornado makes landfall, sirens are likely to sound. However, they are not intended to awaken people; They are meant to alert people who are outdoors that they need to get in as quickly as possible.
Dave Alsup, Andy Rose, Chuck Johnston, Susannah Cullinane, Lori Daniel, Dave Hennen, Amanda Jackson, and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.
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