NE NEWS SERVICE
HOUSTON, JAN 13
Severe storm sweeping across southern part of the US and up to the Midwest on Saturday were blamed for the deaths of at least 11 people, including two first responders, as high winds, tornadoes and unrelenting rain battered large swaths of the country.
Storm-related fatalities were reported in Texas due to icy weather, in Alabama from a deadly tornado, and in Louisiana where winds were so strong that a trailer home was lifted off its foundation and carried several hundred feet.
Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power from Texas to Ohio, parts of highways were closed in Oklahoma and Arkansas due to flooding and hundreds of flights were cancelled at Chicago’s international airports.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency to assist crews working to restore power around the state. Two first responders were killed and another was critically injured in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday morning after they were hit by a vehicle while working the scene of a traffic accident in icy conditions, officials said. In Alabama, three people were confirmed killed near Carrollton in Pickens County, the National Weather Service in Birmingham tweeted. The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said the deaths were caused by an “embedded tornado within a long line of intense thunderstorms”.
The National Weather Service in Shreveport said a tornado with winds of around 217 kph had touched down in Bossier Parish. Drone footage showed smashed buildings, a large vehicle flipped on its side, toppled trees and debris scattered over a large area. About 67,000 customers were without power in Alabama on Saturday night, according to Alabama Power. PowerOutage.us said Georgia had about 98,000 power outages Saturday evening, with tens of thousands of outages also reported in Mississippi and Louisiana. Outages occurred from Texas to Ohio.
In Tennessee, damage was widespread throughout Shelby County, the state’s most populous county, which includes Memphis. There were numerous downed trees and power poles, some of which will need to be replaced, according to the utility. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said portions of several highways in the southeastern part of the state were closed due to flooding. The Arkansas Department of Transportation reported that portions of several state highways across the state, particularly in southeastern Arkansas, were closed due to downed trees, power lines and flooding.
The storm, bringing the threat of ice and snow to the Chicago area, prompted the cancellation of more than 1,200 flights Saturday at Chicago’s two main airports. Most cancellations occurred at Chicago’s O’Hare International, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation’s online flight-tracking website. Courtesy: AP
