14 confirmed tornadoes from Texas to Florida amid severe storm warnings
Five states stretching from Texas to Florida have faced a severe weather and tornado outbreak this week, causing widespread damage.
From late Tuesday night into Thursday evening, there have been 14 confirmed tornadoes throughout Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
In addition to tornadoes, the storm system also brought several flash flood emergencies from eastern Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana and Tallahassee, Florida.
The latest tornado confirmed occurred Thursday in Bakersville, Florida, at 11:37 a.m., local time. Details surrounding the strength and damage of the tornado have not been released.
Ohio Valley faces a tornado and flood threat Thursday through the evening. While damaging winds and a few tornadoes remain the main threat, some scattered hail will also be possible.
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania through 9 p.m. ET Thursday evening.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed Lake Charles, Lousiana, experienced an EF-2 tornado with maximum winds of 115 mph. The twister left several homes and a local hospital damaged in its wake.
Nearby Lake Charles, two tornadoes hit Cameron Parish, Lousiana, Wednesday, both rated EF-1 with maximum winds of 100 mph. One of the tornadoes had a force strong enough to flip a mobile home while the other mainly caused tree damage.
EF stands for Enhanced Fujita, a scale used to assign a tornado a "rating" based on estimated wind speeds and related damage, according to NWS.
On Wednesday in Port Arthur, Texas, an EF-2 tornado with maximum winds of 120 mph touched down, for four minutes, with a 300-yard width and a 2.7-mile-long path, according to NWS.
Wednesday also saw a brief tornado hit Georgetown, Alabama, with minor damage reported. The twister was scaled as EF-1 with maximum winds of 100 mph.
One of the confirmed tornadoes ripped through Slidell, Louisiana, on Wednesday, about 30 miles outside of New Orleans. The tornado damaged buildings and downed power lines as rain pounded the town, according to officials.
Details about the scale and strength of the tornado in Slidell have yet to be announced.
In a press conference Wednesday evening, Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal confirmed there were no deaths or major injuries as a result of the tornado.
Another tornado was confirmed in St. Francisville, Lousiana, though the survey of the strength and scale of the tornado is ongoing.
In Mississippi, an EF-0 tornado with maximum winds of 85 mph hit the Lake Camden area Wednesday following a Tuesday EF-1 tornado that impacted Learned, Mississippi.
Elsewhere in the state, one death was reported in Scott County, Mississippi, according to Mississippi Emergency Management officials, who noted at least 72 homes across the state have been damaged.
On Tuesday, Katy, Texas, experienced an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 90 mph. The National Weather Service confirmed that the brief tornado hit the area around 2:45 a.m. with a 300-yard-width and a 1.67-mile path.
