At least four people are dead after tornadoes tore across the southern U.S. over the weekend, knocking out power for tens of thousands and destroying dozens of homes.
In Brazoria County, an area of Texas southwest of Houston, at least 40 homes and buildings were significantly damaged.
“It happened in seconds,” Stafnie Brown, a Brazoria resident, told KPRC 2. “The second alert hit and (the tornado) hit right after that, I had no time to hunker down or anything.”
Her wife, 48-year-old Jamie Brown, was killed after an EF-2 tornado touched down near their home. The pair, who were married for six years, have eight children together.
“I just took off running. I started screaming her name. I went through the rubble and I was not finding her,” Stafnie recalled. ”I looked over and I could see her face down in a puddle of water.”
Four people in the county were reported with non-critical injuries from the storm.
At least five twisters struck to the north and south of the major metro on Saturday, before the storm system headed east.
People clear a street after trees fell following storms near Houston, Texas, on Saturday. The severe weather brought deadly tornadoes to the Lone Star State and other parts of the South ((Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP))
In Mississippi, more than 32,000 customers remained without power on Monday, according to tracker PowerOutage.US. Strong winds that could fell trees and upend vehicles were still expected, forecasters warned.
Photos from emergency officials showed that trees had already been tossed around streets and yards in Rankin County.
Tate Reeves, the state’s governor, announced that there had been two fatalities due to the severe weather, as well as multiple injuries. One person lost their life in Adams County and another in Lowndes County, which are located to the south and north of Jackson, respectively.
In Adams County, a tree fell on a house at about 7:30 p.m. CT, killing 18-year-old cheer captain Ty’Keria Rogers and injuring two others, WAPT reported.
Ty’Keria Rogers is seen with her family in this GoFundMe photo. Rogers was slated to graduate from Natchez High School in May (GoFundMe)
“Our hearts are broken this morning over the loss of Ty’Keria Rogers, an outstanding 18-year-old in our community who touched many hearts and who left an indelible mark on all who knew her. Our prayers are with her family and friends,” Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson wrote on social media.
Rogers’ high-school teacher wrote that her mother and siblings had been left without a place to live and that a GoFundMe had been set up to help the family.
“Tykeria was a vibrant, loving soul, whose warmth touched everyone she met,” Anna Douglas, whose son was Rogers’ brother, wrote. “Now, [her mother] finds herself grappling with profound loss while trying to care for Ty’Keria’s two youngest siblings, who are equally devastated. The family has not only lost their cherished loved one but also their home, forcing them into temporary hotel accommodations.”
In Lowndes County, a 68-year-old woman who was on home oxygen died after she lost power, according to WLBT. After calling 911 early Sunday morning, she was found unresponsive outside of her vehicle. Her identity was not made public.
A snapped tree is seen on a roof in Rankin County, Mississippi. There were two fatalities in the state and multiple injuries reported by Governor Tate Reeves (Rankin County Emergency Operations)
Preliminary damage assessments indicated that 14 Mississippi counties had impacts from the storms.
The storms also caused some delays at major U.S. airports during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
There were at least 45 reports of tornado damage across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. A fatality 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.
Destruction from the storm is seen in Athens, Alabama, on Sunday as a man walks through the areas. There were multiple reports of damage in the state ((AP Photo/Lance George))
The storms closed some roads in western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene had struck months earlier.
Alabama also saw some destruction.
“I stepped out on my porch and I could hear it roar,” Holly Hollman, spokeswoman for the city of Athens, Alabama, told The Associated Press. “I think we are extremely lucky that we got hit late at night. If it had hit during the busy hours, I think we might have had some injuries and possibly some fatalities.”
With reporting from The Associated Press
