Winter storm spreads destruction as tornadoes hit the South [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• A winter storm system caused icy weather along northern states and a string of tornadoes across the South.
• At least three have died in Louisiana as tornadoes spawned across the southern states.
• Tornadoes damaged dozens of homes and businesses, with mobile homes completely reduced to debris.

At least three people in Louisiana have died amid a winter storm system that spawned tornadoes and punishing weather across the nation.

In the north, blizzard-like conditions were reported along the Great Plains.

Over 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow fell in some areas of South Dakota. State officials closed off parts of Interstate 90 and warned drivers to avoid most highways.

In northern Minnesota, the weather made for dangerous driving as snow reached 6 to 8 inches (15-20 centimeters) in some areas.

In Texas, thunderstorms and tornadoes damaged dozens of homes and businesses. In the suburb of Grapevine, Dallas, at least five people were injured. The city’s municipal service center also had its roof blown off.

On Tuesday in northern Louisiana, a mobile home was swept away from Keithville, near Shreveport. Authorities spent hours searching for the bodies of a mother and child. The destruction spanned about a mile long (1.6 kilometers).

Around 11 p.m., the body of 8-year-old Nikolus Little was found about a half-mile away from where their home once stood. The body of his 30-year-old mother, Yoshiko A. Smith, was found around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday about a street away from their home.

Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Sgt. Casey Jones said that the father had left to buy groceries before the storm hit, “came home and the house was gone.” When responders arrived, only a concrete slab remained.

In Union Parish, a tornado badly damaged an apartment complex housing 50 families and wiped out a trailer park with about 10 homes. About 30 more homes were damaged along Lake D’Arbonne. At least two people were hospitalized. The path of destruction spanned at least 5 miles (8 kilometers).

On Wednesday afternoon, St. Charles Parish west of New Orleans reported a tornado in the Killona community along the Mississipi River. The storm damaged homes, flung debris, injured at least eight people, and is suspected to have killed at least one woman found outdoors.

In New Iberia in southwest Louisiana, five people reported minor injuries after a suspected tornado.

In Rankin County, Mississippi, four large chicken houses, one of which housed 5,000 roosters, were destroyed. Mobile homes were reduced to debris.

Warnings for more severe storms and tornadoes were issued across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and possibly the Florida panhandle.

Meteorologist Frank Pereira of the National Weather Service in Maryland predicted icy weather to affect the country from coast to coast. The huge storm, which had already started dumping heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, is expected to bring more ice and snow “all the way from California to eventually the Northeast.”

The upper Midwest, as well as the central Appalachians and Northeast, can expect ice, rain, and snow for days.

Source: Aol.com