Weather forecasters in Mobile, Ala., Received reports in some areas of the size of softballs when a storm system moved to Florida.
Heavy storms rolled through the South late Friday through early Saturday, killing two people in Louisiana and bringing the size of softballs to parts of Alabama, authorities said.
According to Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, a 48-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his garage in Shreveport, La, around 6:30 p.m., Friday.
The tree hit a corner of the garage where the man was. A woman who was also in the house was not injured. Authorities said there was strong wind when the tree came down.
In Louisiana, the president of St. Landry Parish, Jessie Bellard, confirmed that one person was killed and at least seven others were injured in the storms that swept through the area around 2 p.m. The circumstances of the injured are not immediately known.
Video recorded by WGNO television station showed widespread damage in Palmetto, La., A town about 60 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. Winds were powerful enough to drag a house a few dozen feet down a road, the station reported.
Mr Bellard said crews worked Saturday to clear up debris and restore power in the area.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this storm,” he said.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi shortly after midnight local time, warning of the threat of a few strong tornadoes, hail and gusts of up to 80 miles per hour.
At 1:22 a.m., the Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of Louisiana, including Palmetto, after radars indicated a tornado was likely to develop.
Andy Patrick, a meteorologist at the Weather Service office in Lake Charles, La., Said it is difficult to alert the public about severe weather when powerful storms develop overnight while most people are asleep.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” he said. Patrick said, adding that a recording team did the damage in St. Patrick. Landry Parish would judge to determine if a tornado had developed and the strength of the storm.
Storm heading east in Orange Beach, Ala thrown out by great hail. The weather service office in Mobile, Ala., Has received reports in some areas of the size of the ball balls and softballs.
Storm also appeared in the Florida Panhandle, while the Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Walton County, about 90 miles east of Pensacola, Fla., Around 6 p.m.
Images circulating online after the storm in Florida showed significant damage, including one house reduced to a heap of rubble and a roof torn from a convenience store. Video also showed a possible water spray near Panama City Beach.
About 30,000 customers in northwest Florida were without power after the storms, according to the power source Gulf Power.
The Weather Service issued a tornado warning for southwestern Calhoun County in the Florida Panhandle around 9 p.m. Radars are said to indicate that storms are turning which could cause a tornado, and that gusts of wind could cause major damage.
“Flying debris will be dangerous for those caught without shelter,” the Weather Service said. “Do not wait to see or hear the tornado.”
Late Saturday afternoon, storms pushed eastward toward Jacksonville, Florida, although it appeared to be weaker than the morning.
The Jacksonville Weather Service has warned residents around 5:30 p.m. that winds greater than 45 km / h were possible with storms moving through the area.