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At least four people are dead afterwards Tornadoes hit the southern US over the weekend, knocking out power to tens of thousands of people and destroying dozens of homes.
in Brazoria County, area of Texas southwest of Houstonyear, at least 40 houses and buildings were significantly damaged.
“It happened in seconds,” Brazoria resident Stafnie Brown said KPRC 2. “The second alert hit and (the tornado) hit right after that, I didn’t have time to duck or anything.”
Her wife, 48-year-old Jamie Brown, was killed after the EF-2 tornado touched down near their home. The couple, who were married for six years, have eight children.
“I was just running. I started screaming her name. I went through the ruins and didn’t find her,” Stafnie recalled. “I looked and I saw her face down in the pool of water.”
Four people in the district were reported with non-critical injuries in the storm.
At least five twisters struck north and south of the major metro area on Saturday, before the storm system moved east.
in Mississippi, more than 32,000 customers were left without electricity on Monday, according to tracker PowerOutage.US. Strong winds that could knock down trees and forecast vehicles are still expected, forecasters warned.
Photographs from emergency officials have shown that trees it was already scattered across the streets and yards of Rankin County.
Tate Reeves, the state’s governor, said two people died and multiple injuries were caused by the bad weather. One person lost their life in Adams County and the other in Lowndes County, which is south and north of Jackson, respectively.
In Adams County, a tree fell on a home around 7:30 pm CT, killing an 18-year-old cheerleading captain Ty’Keria Rogers and wounding two more, WAPT registered.
“Our hearts are broken this morning at the loss of Ty’Keria Rogers, an extraordinary 18-year-old in our community who touched many hearts and left an indelible mark on all who knew her. Our prayers are with her family and friends,” said Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson wrote on social networks.
Rogers’ high school teacher wrote that her mother and siblings were left without a place to live and that a GoFundMe she was appointed to help the family.
“Tykeria was a vibrant, loving soul whose warmth touched everyone she met,” wrote Anna Douglas, whose son was Rogers’ brother. “Now, [her mother] finds herself struggling with profound loss as she tries to care for Ty’Keria’s two youngest siblings, who are equally devastated. The family not only lost a loved one, but also their home, forcing them into temporary hotel accommodation.”
In Lowndes County, a 68-year-old woman who was on home oxygen died after losing power, according to WLBT. After calling 911 early Sunday morning, she was found unresponsive outside her vehicle. Her identity has not been made public.
Preliminary damage assessment indicated that 14 Mississippi counties were impacted by the storm.
The storms also caused some delays at major US airports during one of the busiest weekends of the year.
There were at least 45 reports of tornado damage across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. A death was also reported in North Carolina.
A 70-year-old man identified as Matthew Teeple was killed traveling north of Charlotte when a tree landed on his pickup truck. Police said they believe he died instantly.
The storm closed some roads in western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene hit a few months earlier.
Alabama also experienced some devastation.
“I went out on the porch and I heard a roar,” said Holly Hollman, a spokeswoman for the city of Athens, Alabama. Associated Press. “I think we’re extremely lucky to get hit late at night. If it had hit during business hours, I think we could have had some injuries and possibly death.”
With reporting from the Associated Press