KENNER, La. — Tornadoes and severe weather ripped through southern Louisiana and Mississippi on Tuesday, mangling trailers at an RV park, ripping roofs from buildings and killing at least three people in both states, authorities said.
One of the hardest-hit areas appeared to be a recreational vehicle park in the town of Convent, in southern Louisiana. Two people were killed there, said St. James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin, speaking on local television. Authorities were looking for people believed to be trapped under the debris, Martin said.
Thirty people were injured, and seven of them were in critical condition, he said.
“We never had anything like this; we never had this many people injured in one event, and so much destruction in one event,” Martin told WVUE news. “We won't stop searching until we're satisfied we've searched every pile.”
In Mississippi, officials were sorting through reports of damage to buildings. Vann Byrd of the Lamar County Emergency Management Agency said one person died in a mobile home west of Purvis.
The reported tornadoes were part of a line of severe weather and storms that ripped through the region.
At least seven tornadoes hit southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, said Ken Graham, the meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service's southeast Louisiana office.
That number includes the one that slammed into the RV park in Convent and one that killed a person near Purvis, he said. Teams will be sent out in the morning to document the damage and rate the tornadoes, he said.
The harsh weather even affected the National Weather Service, Graham said. Lightning took out the radar in the Slidell, La., office, forcing meteorologists to use backups, he said.
“We felt the shock wave go through the building,” Graham said.
Earlier Tuesday, a reported tornado caused damage but no injuries near New Orleans' main airport.
Emergency officials and the National Weather Service said the reported tornado was spotted near Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in the suburban city of Kenner. It was believed to have touched down in a nearby field.
Governors in Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency.
High winds ripped off roofs and downed trees in the greater New Orleans area. Other suspected tornadoes were reported north of Lake Pontchartrain and west of the city in St. Charles and Ascension parishes.
